


Finding the Words

by mistye_dawne



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 67,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistye_dawne/pseuds/mistye_dawne
Summary: A chance meeting while taking a break from her team sends Lucy and Laxus into unfamiliar territory as Lucy tries to find balance between catering to her team and moving forward with her own life, while Laxus fights his demons and struggles to accept that he just might be good enough to have the girl of his dreams.





	1. Storm in the Clearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first LaLu fic so I really hope that you enjoy it and come back for more as I update it at least once a week. I'm always eager to hear what you guys think so please don't hesitate to drop a comment and let me know!

" _To all passengers, the train will be arriving at Clover Town in twenty minutes. To those seeking passage back south..."_

Stirred by the too cheery voice over the train intercom, Lucy opened her eyes to see the barren plateaus that lead into Clover Town. She sat up and straightened her back groaning with content as it popped several times. The celestial mage brushed her hand over Horologium's key and the spirit informed her that it was ten past eight. Lucy wasn't due to meet with the client for her mission until nine which left her with just enough time to stop and grab a small breakfast before getting down to work. She grabbed one of two novels that she'd brought and opened it to where she left off for the remainder of the train ride.

Wearing a pair of comfortable dark jeans tucked into her favorite pair of black combat boots and a cobalt blue halter top under a simple black leather jacket, Lucy stepped off the train and shivered slightly at the odd chill in the air. Summer had just begun in Fiore but she blamed the chill on the storm that the town was expecting to hit in the next day. Her job was simple and she was confident that she'd make it back to town before getting caught in it. Not that she'd mind too much, as the celestial mage felt an odd comfort during thunderstorms and the like. It would just make her job a tad easier if she didn't have to travel on foot in the rain.

Lucy zipped up her jacket and tucked her hands into the pockets as she strolled to a small cafe and picked up a warm crescent roll for breakfast. The buttery and flaky pastry had the blonde smiling and humming in delight. She took note of the name and promised herself to stop by before leaving town to actually sit and enjoy the atmosphere. When she came up to the client's shop Lucy was greeted by kind looking middle aged man with salt and peppered hair named Mathis. With a smile he invited her to the back of the shop for some tea before they started talking about the job.

"How would you like your tea, Miss?"

"It's Lucy, just Lucy please," she smiled, "and I'll have honey in mine please."

The celestial mage eyed the shelves lined with countless jars of herbs, wondering what each one could be used for. She'd spent enough time with Wendy to learn that some plants could be turned into a number of healing ointments and medicines. Lucy always loved to hear the young dragon slayer talk animatedly about some of the things that she learned from Porlyusica and even committed some of those things to her own memory.

Mathis' eyes followed the mage's gaze and placed a cup in front of her. "Do you know much about herbal medicines, Lucy?"

She brought the tea to her nose and smiled when jasmine and honey flooded her senses "I don't," she shook her head, "but a dear friend of mine does. I'm only familiar with the few I've seen her work with or what she's talked about."

"I see. Has she worked with Belladonna Lilies before?"

"Isn't Belladonna also called Deadly Nightshade?"

"That it is and it is also toxic to humans if handled incorrectly," he chuckled at her confusion. "There is a method called decoction that makes the plant safe for me to use. In layman's terms, I mash the roots, or whatever part of the plant I'm using, and then boil them down to make an extract. This extract is a concentrated liquor which I sometimes sell as is or use it to create tinctures."

Lucy had another sip of her tea and leaned closer to Mathis to show her interest in the conversation. No, she didn't plan on becoming an herbalist but much like her mother before her, she was happy to have a chance at learning something unfamiliar to her. "So what is Belladonna used for?" she asked.

Seeing the gleam in the mage's eyes, the herbalist smiled, "Belladonna is most commonly used to alleviate motion sickness, nausea, and menstrual cramps." Lucy's eyes grew wide as she straightened herself before Mathis continued. "By now I'm sure you've gathered that this is the plant I need you to collect for me."

"Is it dangerous to harvest what you need? The reward seems a little high for just collecting a plant."

"The plant is only dangerous if ingested, I assure you. It might seem like I'm offering too much," the man shrugged, "but there are a few things that you need to be aware of before you leave. Do you have a map with you? Your job will be much easier if I can mark where I need you to go."

"Of course," she answered, pulling the folded paper from her pack and offering it to him. Lucy watched him draw the path she would need take from the edge of town through the plateaus to get her to the forest southeast of town, and then mark what she assumed to be the spot where she would find the plant.

"It isn't far into the forest but I must caution you," his voice becoming grave, "there have been sightings of wyverns further south into the forest, closer to Akane. Now, I've heard that there was a job accepted recently to clear them out. I don't want to give you any reason to worry but it is possible that they might have fled north, so please be careful."

Lucy smiled gently, "I promise to take caution. And thank you for the warning."

"Indeed," he nodded. "When you get to the clearing the plants should be lining the edges, underneath the trees, they prefer the shade. I only need the leaves and stems of the plant so you'll have to remove any flowers or berries that if any remain on the plants. You may cut them all the way down to the root but try to only harvest the full grown plants. They'll be about a meter tall."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"That's everything I have to tell you," Mathis said shaking his head. He removed the empty teacups and watched the celestial mage.

Lucy took another look at the map and then up a clock on the wall. It was half past nine and gauging the distance on the map it would only take her a couple of hours to reach the clearing, provided she wasn't attacked by anything and the weather held up. She'd aim to be there sometime in the early afternoon. Returning the parchment to her bag and then shouldering it, Lucy told him of her tentative plan.

"If the weather holds up and nothing hinders me into forest, I should be reach the clearing in the early afternoon. I plan to be back in town before dark but if I'm later than that, I'll send one of my spirits to inform you that I am safe and well."

Mathis smiled and nodded, "I'd appreciate that very much. I'd hate if something were to happen while simply collecting the plants for me."

Lucy turned to leave but paused before entering the storefront. "Was there something else Lucy?" She bit her lip and wondered if it would be appropriate at ask him for anything with the reward being so high for the simple task she was to complete.

"Umm, I was wondering if it I could ask you for a tincture. I have several friends who could benefit from it if I had it available. I'm willing to give up some of the reward even-"

"Don't be ridiculous, Lucy," Mathis scoffed. "I'll have one prepared by the time you return, as thanks for sitting with an old man for a short while. Stay safe now, Lucy."

* * *

Map in hand, Lucy stopped for a small break before entering of the forest. Another hour or so and she'd reach the clearing. She took a deep breath and looked up to the clouded sky. The noon sun was hidden behind fat grey clouds that seemed ready to burst at a moment's notice and the wind had picked up just slightly. If she didn't dawdle while walking the remaining distance, then she could still at least gather the plants before the storm arrived but her chances looked slim.

Lucy stood and ran her fingers over Pyxis' key. When the spirit assured her that she was facing the right direction she resumed her hike deeper into the forest, her eyes always flicking to the sky and her ears open to any new sounds or lack thereof. She'd spent enough with Natsu to know that you could always hear your surroundings change before you saw them.

While keeping her steady pace, Lucy wondered about what the rest of her team was up to. She was ahead on rent and she had groceries in her apartment. By the time she returned home though, Natsu would have raided her kitchen. With this job at least, Lucy wouldn't have give up any of the reward to cover damage fees. She was giddy at the thought and then immediately the feeling of guilt crept up on her like it had been with every solo mission she'd taken in the past couple months.

The boy was the brother and best friend that would always be there for her. Well, she used to think as much at one time but when he disappeared after the Battle of Tartaros Lucy had been left alone. She still had Erza, Gray and the rest of her Fairy Tail family but the loss of Aquarius followed by the loss of her best friend hit her hard and Lucy mourned in her own way. Tired of being left behind, Lucy found solace in isolation. If she was going to get stronger and do things that she wanted to do in life, then she'd do it herself with her spirits at her side. She invested herself into expanding her magic and even learned a new way to wield it so that she was more capable in a fight. Most of her missions were solo ones that she knew she could handle. She didn't dread fighting as much but did avoid it if it were possible. Just because she wanted to be stronger in a fight didn't mean she was going to be stupid about it.

When Natsu returned, she started going on missions again with her old team. It felt nice to be together with them again but it never quite felt right. Her team even resumed showing up at her place randomly and after a year of catching up on money she owed and then actually getting ahead, it was starting to dwindle after only a few months of her team being together again. Lucy had changed during that year and felt the pull of her team wanting her former self back but the celestial mage could never go back to that time. She didn't want to.

As her thoughts and emotions started to run rampant, a familiar glow appeared beside her and she cocked her head slightly to greet her ever faithful lion. "Hey Loke!" she beamed.

The lion smiled and brought her hand to his lips causing her to roll her eyes. "Something troubling you, Princess?" he laughed.

"Just thinking. I promise."

"About?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Nosy lion," Lucy said narrowing her eyes as he shrugged.

"I just know that when you get too lost in thought when you're alone, you doubt yourself." He waited for her to protest but she never did. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I'm here, Lucy. I'm here so you won't be alone." She giggled and linked her arm with his.

"I was thinking about how much my life has changed in the past year."

"You've certainly grown stronger."

"It's not just about my magic training," she shook her head. "It's everything, I think. Ugh... there's just a lot and I don't know what's good or bad."

"Listen to me, Lucy. You're amazing at multi-tasking and thinking on your feet but only when you've got your head on straight. Slow down, take a deep breath and just let everything fall into place as it normally is."

Trusting her spirit to guide her and not let her fall on her face, Lucy closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She envisioned everything that was on her mind falling into categorized piles. Then those piles were moved to labeled filing cabinets so that she could quickly pull things out when she needed to. She'd perfected this way of thinking when training with Capricorn, keeping everything present in her mind and bringing to the forefront when she needed but as was natural when her team was involved, things tended to become a mess.

Loke watched his friend in silence as she sorted through the mess in her mind. He knew that she loved her team, too much sometimes but they were the family that she'd lost as a child. He didn't think that she wanted to leave her team behind, but she also didn't want things to return to how they used to be. The celestial lion and her other spirits had been worried that she would shut them out losing Aquarius but their celestial mage surprised them when she refused to let guilt take over her life. Yes, she'd been heartbroken at the loss of a friend but she worked through it and most importantly, she didn't do it alone. She let him and the others come forward to train her and comfort her when she needed it.

"I need my team to know what I want," she spoke softly, bringing his attention back to her.

"And what would that be, Princess?"

"I don't need to always be with the team. Yes, I missed the adventures we would go on and while I could have continued that with Erza and Gray, I made the choice to isolate myself a bit. Maybe it wasn't the right choice but it was the choice I made. I enjoy the solo missions even the occasional ones with Cana and Levy. Those are always fun," Lucy said thinking about the late nights they had spent gossiping about anything and everything and decided that she wanted to do that again soon. "Besides," she smiled, "I'm never really alone when on a solo mission."

Loke threw his arm over her shoulder and smiled down at her. "That will always be true."

"I'm not leaving the team because I really do still want to go on missions with them. I just feel," she paused trying to find the proper words for her thoughts.

"Like you're suffocating."

"Yeah, that's it," she confirmed. Lucy thought back to when she first joined Fairy Tail. That had been over two years ago now, well two for her and seven for the rest of the world. So much had happened in that first year, too much almost. Before the guild, before Natsu, she was nothing more than a runaway heiress. When he brought her to the guild, she'd found the family she'd lost when her mother had died. Then when that same man left, she found herself. Who she wanted to be and how she wanted to live.

"When I first joined the guild, I was overwhelmed with the presence of family. That love and adoration was something I lost when my mother had passed and getting a taste of it when I walked through those doors that first time was beyond addicting. I let myself get caught up in that and I became dependent on the guild. I was chained, Loke, and it broke when Natsu left."

"Chain?"

"A chain that I unintentionally created and attached to the guild. I used to need the guild in a way that wasn't healthy. I felt that losing any one of my family again would kill me. That's why I always tried so hard in everything I did. I wanted to fight for them and protect them but most importantly, I didn't want to be left behind and left alone. I know now that if by some tragedy the guild was disbanded and I was on my own, I'd be okay in the end. Just like when Natsu left, it hurt, but I'm okay now."

"But your friends want you to be more than just okay, Lucy," he stated firmly.

"I know. That's why I need to tell my team that I'm not okay with things going back to how they were. Why I need to not be afraid of being my father's daughter. A woman, who will always state her desires and wishes clearly and with authority. A woman that force herself to be heard when ignored."

"Are you sure that isn't like your mother?" he joked.

"Oh, my mother was plenty headstrong but she did it with grace. Me, I've been told that her kindness is within me and I feel it. Grace though, that just isn't the Fairy Tail way," she laughed. "Thank you, Loke. I feel much better now."

"It's always my pleasure, Princess. If you'd like, I can help you talk to your team."

She pulled them to a stop and shook her head. "No thanks. I need to do it myself so that they know it's something that I mean."

"I understand. Just remember, we're a name away of you need us." The two stood for and took in the unsettling silence. Lucy looked up but only saw the heavy cover of the trees above. "Let's go, I think that storm is moving in faster. He took her hand started off. She kept up easily stepping precisely over roots and ducking under branches.

"We're not far. A couple hundred meters and we'll reach the clearing." A flash and crash of thunder caused both spirit and mage to falter in their rush. "Loke, that wasn't the storm."

"Definitely a mage, I know. Be careful, Lucy." The two came into the clearing and saw a wyvern standing over an injured Laxus Dreyar with a leg poised ready to come down on him. There was another beast not far from him clearly down for the count.

"Stardress, Taurus!" Lucy unfurled her whip and flicked it around the beast's raised leg. Laxus watched her plant herself and pull the whip taunt, preventing him from being crushed by the beast. "Get out of there, Laxus!" He didn't need to be told twice as he staggered to his feet, a hand bracing his abdomen.

Lucy was pulled forward and off her feet just as Laxus moved away from the wyvern. There wasn't much space between him and it though so it pursued, snapping it's jaws. She flicked out her whip again, this time wrapping it around the creature's neck and planted her weight low to the ground. Laxus was impressed with her strength and how quickly to changed tactics when tripped up.

"Loke, now!" she called. The lion's fist was surrounded in bright light as charged at the beast connecting with it's impact caused the the wyvern to waver and it reared its head. Lucy saw an opportunity and pulled her whip bringing the beast to the ground.

"Blondie, drop you whip!" Lucy looked to question him but just dropped the weapon when the hairs on her neck tingle with his magic. She jumped back toward the edge of the clearing a breath before he unleashed his magic on the creature. It let out a bloodcurdling screech then went quiet and completely still. She stepped from the behind the tree she had ducked behind and felt her stomach sink when she saw Laxus collapse.

"Laxus!" She ran to his side and skidded on her knees placing her hands on either side of Laxus' face to make him look at her. "Shit, Laxus. Open your eyes, please." He could hear her pleading but he just couldn't get his body to listen any longer. He'd spent the better part of the morning tracking the missing wyvern only to discover another one when they ambushed him. He was lucky that Lucy showed up when she did or he'd have been worse off.

"Lucy, I'm out of here. Those wyverns are down and out. Call Virgo." Loke said before closing his gate.

Lucy moved her hands from his face to the top of his shirt and ripped it open popping several buttons. Her eyes immediately went to the gash that stretched from his guild mark to the opposite hip. "Virgo, please. I need you." The spirit appeared opposite of her and immediately took charge in bandaging the lightning slayer.

"Princess, you should try to get him talking, Distract him." Lucy nodded and looked back up to his face and lifted his head so that it rested on her lap.

"Laxus, can you hear me?"Her voice was gentle and he wanted so bad to tell her, to see that smile he always saw when she was at the guild.

Laxus felt his mouth open but heard nothing until he felt the freezing burn of disinfectant on his stomach. "Shit!" he hissed and tried to sit up only to be forced down by Lucy pushing his shoulders. Having control of his body again, he opened his eyes and looked up at her shining brown eyes. "Lucy," he could barely whisper.

"That's right," she chuckled, "I'm here. Just focus on me, okay?" He nodded and when she smiled down at him, his breath hitched. There it was, that smile she shared with everyone, only this time it was all his. He wasn't sure why that made him happy but it did and he didn't dare question it. Instead he closed his eyes again and nuzzled her lap, picking up traces of jasmine and honey mixed with her natural scent of sweet strawberries. He stopped and looked back at her when she started laughing. "Slow down, Sparky. You haven't even taken me on a date yet."

"Aren't you supposed to keep me distracted, blondie?" He hissed with clenched teeth when he felt the spirit touch tender spot.

"You're in no condition for that kind of distraction. And like I said, you haven't taken me out yet." Laxus watched her eyes soften then, "What happened Laxus? My client told me about the wyverns that were in the southern part of the forest but I really didn't expect to see them here."

"My team and I took a job just north of Akane to clear them out and drive them east. There were three but one fled so I left my team with the other two and tracked the one. When I caught up to it there was another one with it."

Smiling at him again she shook her head. "Idiot dragon slayer."

"Princess, can you sit him up? He still needs bandages."

"Thanks Virgo, I'll handle that. Would you bring my pack over here? It should be somewhere around here." Laxus hissed as she pulled him to a sitting position and started to wrap his stomach. He was struggling to hold himself up and the way her slightly calloused hands glided over his skin made it hard for him to focus. "You can lean on me, Laxus. I'll hold you up," she whispered. She shifted after she felt his weight shift and resumed her work. She couldn't see what she was doing anymore but was able to finish wrapping him thanks to the gauze Virgo had applied already.

"Your pack, Princess. Is there anything else you need?"

"That will be all, Virgo. Thank you for your help." Lucy shifted Laxus and moved him back to the ground with his head on her lap again. "Laxus, where is your team now?"

"South. I expect at least Bix and Freed to have followed."

"Okay," she said reaching into her pack, "I'm calling your team."

"Thanks, Lucy."

"You can rest now, Laxus. I'm with you," she whispered and absently ran her hands through his blonde spikes until his breathing evened out. Each time he took a deep breath, he stuttered and Lucy took a mental note to make sure that he took something for the pain when he woke up. Picking up the lacrima and looking to the sky Lucy sent a small pulse of magic into it waiting for an answer.

* * *

Freed and Bickslow were following what signs they could find left behind by the missing wyvern that Laxus had gone after ahead of them. After walking for hours the two decided to stop for a small break when Freed felt a familiar buzzing from his coat pocket. He quickly pulled it out and answered it, not expecting to see the face on the other end.

"Miss Lucy?" he asked confusedly.

"Oh good, Freed! Where are you? Is your team with you?"

He looked over at Bickslow who moved closer so that Lucy could see him. "Hey cosplayer. Evergreen is waiting back in Akane for us to call her."

"Hey Bix," she happily greeted, "Well you guys might want to call her so she can get your reward and head home. Long story short, I ran into Laxus and your missing wyvern. We're good here though, the beasts are down and out."

"Beasts? But Laxus only chased after one."

Lucy nodded, "Apparently it found a friend. Laxus had one down when I found him. I'm guessing they got the jump on him, he's pretty beat up. He'll be fine after some rest," she assured his teammates

"I see. Are the two of you safe?"

"Safe enough for now. There's a storm closing though. We're in a clearing just south of the forest's edge closer to Clover Town. That's where I came from. Look for Belladonna plants, they're surrounding the clearing."

"Deadly nightshade?"

"Exactly, Freed. Do you see any near you?"

"I don't."

Lucy huffed thinking of what she could do to help them find her and their teammate easier when an idea came to her. "Freed, how well can you guys see the sky?"

The two men looked up at the grey clouds overhead that they hadn't noticed before. "We have a clear view, Lucy. Why do you ask?"

"I've got an idea. Don't move." The two looked at each other and shrugged, waiting for Lucy to speak again. When they heard her speak again they looked at the lacrima in awe. "Stardress, Sagittarius!" They watched her glow in an ethereal light as a bow appeared in her hands and she aimed at the sky before releasing a single glowing arrow.

"Lucy, hang tight. We're on our way to you now," Freed said excitedly before he and Bickslow started off toward the beacon Lucy had fired.

Lucy cut the connection from the lacrima and returned to the sleeping man. She watched his even breaths and ran her hands through his hair once more, waiting for the storm in the clearing.


	2. Rolling Thunder

Bickslow's babies were the first to reach the clearing, dancing above her head chanting 'Cosplayer' and she couldn't keep herself from laughing. Bickslow pulled Freed to stop and pointed at the sight before them. There, they saw Fairy Tail's celestial mage giggling at totems floating above her one moment and then the next she was looking down at the man whose head was in her lap, running her hands through his hair. A serene smile on her face. Bickslow snapped a photo, knowing Evergreen would kill for it.

When the two stepped out from the forest, Lucy pulled the map from her bag and showed the two where they currently were and how to get back to Clover Town. In response to their questioning looks, she informed them that she still needed to collect the Belladonna for her client. Freed offered to stay behind and return with her but Lucy wouldn't allow it, saying that they looked plenty exhausted themselves after having to chase down their idiot leader. Neither man disagreed but insisted that she call them if she needed anything.

The men had been gone for barely an hour when the storm hit. She ignored the light sprinkle that lasted all of ten minutes before the rain wall arrived. She rushed into the forest for cover to wait it out but there was no end. It was almost like Juvia's incessant crying when Gray and her team left for a mission. Hoping that she had gathered enough, Lucy called Virgo and asked the loyal spirit to visit Mathis ahead of her and inform him that she'd been caught in the storm.

The spirit disappeared and Lucy hiked back to the forest's edge where she was forced to wait. She hoped that Freed and Bix were okay since it took about three hours to get back to the town but quickly dismissed the thought when she reminded herself that it had taken that long because she hadn't been in a rush. Her clothes covered in mud, Lucy sat, watching the lightning paint the sky and then listened to it's thunderous roars that followed seconds later. The storm calmed her and she had to fight the urge to sleep.

It was near 8pm when she made back to the town, her hair damp still and boots caked in mud. There was a break in the clouds allowing the red and purple light of the setting sun to highlight the town but Lucy saw more clouds that would cover the town by dark.

Mathis smiled when he heard the front door open and saw Lucy standing very still as to keep the mud more on herself than risking it cracking and dirtying the floor. The man shook his head at her antics and waved her to the back still. He had been looking at what her spirit had delivered hours earlier and was pleased with the amount she had sent. His smile faded when she walked into the room and he saw her hands.

"Lucy, what happened to your hands?! Your spirit mentioned that ran into some trouble at the clearing. Are you hurt anywhere else?" Lucy looked down at her hands to find then scratched and blistered. On her right hand the blisters had opened, probably when tried to catch herself when she had fallen. She didn't notice anything while gathering the plant or even when she had fallen but now that she was aware, she felt them throb and burn.

"It must have been from collecting the plants. I didn't feel anything until now."

"Here, come sit," he said as he took her wrists and lead her to a chair. He walked to a cabinet to get some first aid supplies and returned with a wet cloth, some bandages, and a jar of what she assumed to be an ointment of some kind. Wiping her hands clean he spoke, "I noticed this morning that your hands were already slightly calloused. I thought the pulling and cutting wouldn't be a problem for you but I see now I should have said something. I'm very sorry Lucy."

"I'm fine really. After what happened at the clearing, I should be thankful of my current state."

"What happened in the clearing, Lucy?"

"Turns out that job you had mentioned, the one about the wyverns in the southern forest, was accepted by a few guildmates of mine. Long story short one of the beasts fled north and my friend tracked it to the clearing but he was ambushed by a second one there. My guess is that he was injured just after besting one of the wyverns." Mathis tied off the bandages and Lucy pulled her hands to her lap. "Will I be able to shower tonight?"

Mathis laughed, "You can bathe girl, just let that ointment sit for a couple hours. It's a disinfectant and pain reliever. Now back to your friend, is he all right?"

Lucy nodded. "I tended to his wound just before calling his team. They weren't far behind him and he would have been fine if he had just called for help first. He was unconscious when I sent them here and that was hours ago," she said solemnly. She wondered if he was still out. He had been pretty beat up and he looked drained of his magic. Wyverns were crafty beasts and probably led him in circles at times while he was following it.

"Well Lucy, I don't want to keep you from him any more than necessary. Here is the tincture I promised and your reward. Oh and keep that ointment. I don't know what condition your friend is in but it might help a bit with the pain."

"Thank you, Mathis. You've been very kind." She smiled and offered him a bandaged hand which he took in his and shook.

"I must say the same of you, Lucy. You collected more than enough for me to work with until next season. I might have to call on your guild again in the future."

"I'm sure my guildmaster would be happy to hear that.," she smiled.

"Get to your friend, now. I'm sure he'll be happy to that smile of yours." he called as she waved and turned from him, hiding the disheartened look in her eyes..

"That'd be something wouldn't it?"

* * *

Her feet pounded on wet cobblestone as she ran to the only proper hotel in town, figuring that would be where they would have gone. Not simply because it was the nicest place to stay, but it would also be the most comfortable and and private for the trio. Slowing down to catch her breath she walked into the lobby and up to the desk, missing the familiar figure coming down the stairs. Freed was on his way out to buy dinner for Bickslow and himself when he saw Lucy walk up to the front desk. Her hair was a tangled mess and one side of her body was covered in mud.

Assuming she was looking for either him or his teammate, he approached the celestial mage. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she turned and looked into a pair of emerald eyes and smiled, thanking her luck that Freed happened to be in the lobby when she entered the building.

"Freed! I was actually just coming to see you guys."

The rune mage noticed her hands and silently admonished himself for not noticing them earlier at the clearing. "Lucy, your hands, Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. They're just blistered from gathering the plants. Umm, I wanted to see how Laxus was doing. You guys didn't get caught in the storm did you?"

His shoulders slumped and he nodded. "We were about an hour outside of town when it hit. Fortunately we were able to find shelter not far from where we were and waited it out. Laxus is still unconscious. I fear he's coming down with a fever now."

"Oh, well my client gave me this," she said pulling the ointment from her pack and handing it to Freed. "It's a disinfectant with a pain reliever mixed in it. I figured you could use it to help Laxus." The rune mage stood stunned for several moments before he realized that he was staring. "Freed, are you okay?"

"Thank you, Lucy. You probably saved his life."

"You don't have to thank me, Freed. I'm just happy to have found him when I did."

"Me too."

The two spent a moment standing in silence before she closed Freed's hands around the medicine and started to back away. "I don't want to keep you and should probably get some rest myself. It's been a long day." Lucy smiled and turned to leave only to have Freed stop her.

"Do you have a place to stay yet, Lucy?"

She stopped. "I don't."

"Why don't you stay with us. You're more than welcome to the second bed," he offered.

She shoved her hands into her jacket. "Thanks for the offer, but you don't need to do all that. I know you guys like to have your space."

"You aren't imposing in any way, Lucy. Please it's the least we can do to thank you."

Lucy stood for a moment shaking her head. She could see in those emerald colored eyes of his that he wasn't going to just let her walk away. Watching her internal struggle, Freed offered the ointment back to the celestial mage and she snached it from him, her eyes narrowed.

"Fine, I'll stay with you guys tonight. On the condition that you let me pay for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. I mean it," she snapped before he could protest.

"Are you sure that I can't get you to reconsider?"

"Not a chance."

"Very well. I was just headed out to get something, shall we?"

"Please. I'm starving."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Lucy and Freed got back to the hotel to find Bickslow, wearing only a pair of flannel pants, sitting on the couch talking to someone on the lacrima comm. He waved Freed over and Lucy took the chance to step into the bathroom to wash up before eating. When she saw her reflection she blanched. She really needed a bath and decided that she couldn't wait.

"Virgo," she called brushing her fingers over her key.

"Punishment, Princess?" the pink-haired maid asked.

"No punishment, Virgo. I hate to ask you for anything else today but I really need to wash off. Could you help me so I don't have to remove these bandages quite yet?" she asked while beginning to peel her muddy clothes.

"Of course, Princess. Please never hesitate to ask me, unless you rather Leo come of his own accord." Lucy froze and barely registered that Virgo had removed her remaining clothes until she was led over to the bath. Mindful of her keyholder's hands, Virgo took to washing and working out the tangles in Lucy hair. The celestial mage had let it grow so that the ends now fell past her hips.

It had been a minute since Lucy had allowed Virgo to do this for her and forgot how well her spirit took care of her. Massaging her coconut shampoo into the roots, she eased the forming headache then moved to condition and detangle the ends. She had also missed how the spirit's hands felt running over her tired muscles as she worked a generous lather then rinsed the strawberry suds from her skin. When Virgo felt satisfied, she drained the water and gently towel dried the woman before applying an unscented oil to moisturize her skin.

"You're amazing, Virgo. I feel a lot better." Lucy said while pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt only to remove the shirt to put on a bra underneath it. Curse Freed and his insistence she thought sourly.

"I will take your and your companion's clothes to wash, Princess. Do not forget to remove the bandages and apply the ointment to your friend's wounds."

"I won't Virgo. Thank you again." The spirit disappeared and Lucy stepped out of the bathroom to join Freed and Bickslow at the table.

The three mages sat over chinese takeout and cheap wine as Lucy recounted what happened in the clearing. She learned that Freed and Bickslow had been following after Laxus for more than a day and had planned on calling the guild that evening if they hadn't found him. Something her team likely would not have done.

She tried to imagine it then, her team on that mission in their place. Each one of her teammates could easily take down a wyvern solo given the chance. Natsu and Gray, by some miracle, would probably take down a beast each and then would end up fighting each other. She thought that after a year of not seeing one another that they would grow up, just a little. Clearly she gave them too much credit. Erza would always play the part of the stoic warrior and take as much of the burden on herself. It was just how the woman operated. Really thinking about it, Lucy would likely be left out, her teammates viewing her as the little sister needing to be saved.

Of all her teammates, Gray was the worst offender. Since Natsu's return, there'd had been a rift between the fire slayer and celestial mage though neither had a mind to discuss it. Because Natsu wasn't glued to her side anymore, Gray decided it was his responsibility to look after Lucy and it annoyed her to no end. Now that she really thought about things, Gray was generally the only one to vocalize his disapproval of Lucy working solo. Natsu was uncannily quiet these days and all Erza did was make sure that she hadn't picked something where she would be in over her head.

Before her mind ran too rampant and Loke forced his gate open again, Lucy let herself get lost in good company and wine. She sat with them for hours as the two told their own tales of past jobs and the ridiculous amount of trouble they used to get in when their team first formed. It was almost midnight when they cleaned off the table and got ready to retire. After removing her own bandages, Lucy grabbed Mathis' ointment from her pack and went to the bedroom.

"I'm gonna remove Laxus' bandages and put some of this on the wound."

"I'll give you a hand," Bickslow offered.

"Thanks, Bix." she looked around him and at Freed who had settled on the couch for the night, "Goodnight Freed."

"Goodnight Lucy."

Lucy turned to the bed and climbed onto it leaning over the resting man. She took a closer look at his face and then up to Bickslow. "Could you get a damp cloth. He's starting to run a fever."

"Sure thing." While he stepped away, Lucy cut the bandages to expose the wound. "Wow, they really got him."

"They did. Lift him for me, please?" Bickslow lifted the man's torso and Lucy pulled the cut bandages from under Laxus before Bix set him back down.

The Seith mage sat back on the second bed and watched her waste no time taking care of his best friend. She looked at home right then, like she was caring for a lover rather than just a guildmate but he concluded that was just part of her personality, investing everything she had into the task at hand. Every so often she would take the damp cloth and wipe away the sweat from his brow before she turned her attention back to the wound.

Bickslow decided then to break his one rule and take a look into her soul. Behind his carefree and perverse mask, was a man that read people very easily. Partially due to his magic but also from years of being a bit of an outsider, watching those around him. While the three of them had been talking and joking earlier, he had noticed that the celestial mage and pulled away and retreated into herself. Though before he could ask her about it she was back and completely invested in the conversation. She was good was hiding her inner turmoils but he was better at seeing them.

He released only a trace amount of magic as not to alert her and saw a midnight blue light with indigo tendrils that seemed to stretch out around her and then pull back, almost like waves washing onto the beach. He also noted the flecks of gold within, the stars, her magic.

Bickslow thought the colors suited Lucy. She was the bold revolutionary, passionate and true, but hidden behind that was a mystic. Someone who could easily let themselves get lost in the intangibles of the world. That part of of her soul was much like own and he wasn't all that surprised since the two of them practiced magics that similar in certain ways.

The pitter patter of raindrops brought him out of his thoughts and he saw that she had since thrown away the used cloth and was moving to the large chair by the window. He grabbed a throw off the end of the bed he'd been on and walked over to drape it over her shoulders. She pulled it around her small frame and curled into the chair.

She leaned her head back and looked up into his eyes, smiling. "Thank you."

He shook his head in disbelief and moved to sit on the floor in front of the chair. "You're something else, Cosplayer."

She giggled lightly and he smiled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He cocked his head back slightly, looking at her with one eye. "I'm the one who should be thanking you for taking care of Laxus."

She reached out and flicked the side of his head. "Enough of that. I happened upon a guildmate in trouble and I helped." They two looked outside after a flash of lightning followed by a deep rumble of thunder.

"You did, but that guildmate happen to be Laxus Dreyar. A man that most see as untouchable maybe even godlike. Not to mention he's the biggest asshole I've ever met."

"And here I thought you two were best friends," she scoffed.

"Don't get me wrong, Cosplayer. Laxus is my best friend but that doesn't mean I'm gonna bullshit myself about who he really is and he is an arrogant asshole." Bickslow took a deep breath and there was another flash of lightning. This time the thunder was much louder, closer. "You know it's partially a mask, right?"

"What is?"

"His arrogance. He uses it to keep himself from getting hurt but when you get beyond that fucking wall of his, he really is a good guy."

"You know, I envy you a little."

Bix was taken aback. "What? You're kidding right?"

She shook her head. "You're completely honest with yourself about your best friend."

"And you aren't?" he questioned.

"Lately I haven't been." Another flash of lightning as the rain started to beat on the window.

He turned around then and looked into her eyes. Her normally bright brown eyes were dull and tears threatened to fall. He'd seen Lucy cry before, everyone had at some point because the girl wore her heart on her sleeve but this was different.

"Mind if I ask you something, Cosplayer?"

"Shoot." She shrugged.

"What happened to you when your best friend left without so much as a goodbye?"

When the first tear fell he knew that he'd hit something sensitive. The two hadn't really ever sat down and talked, not like this anyhow so maybe it was a little inappropriate for him to ask but he did it anyway. He wasn't gonna force her to answer, he was just curious because anyone with eyes could see that there was distance between the fire dragon slayer and celestial mage where hadn't been before.

Lucy thought for a moment, avoiding the sieth mage's eyes because she knew that he'd see everything if she looked into them. It felt odd to have him ask that question and be so direct about it, like he knew something she didn't. While it felt odd, it wasn't uncomfortable for her. He was silent, just waiting to see if she would say something. So she did, not knowing exactly why since she had never spoken to anyone besides her spirits about what happened.

"I lost one of my spirits, Bickslow," she whispered with a trembling voice.

When she finally looked at him he saw it. Those golden specks of her soul were her spirits. They were a part of her and while there should have been fifteen, one was missing. Damn she hid things really well he thought and found his own breath stuttering. He wanted to say something but his mind was trying to wrap itself around the idea and it hurt, rendering him silent.

"It's okay that you can't say anything, Bix." He watched her wipe the tears away with the back of her hand. "It's okay because you're the only one who can imagine what it would feel like to lose a part of yourself. Those five souls of yours, they're a lot like my spirits, right?"

Finally he was able to speak. "Yeah, they are. They've got their own personalities and thoughts. Most people don't see it but they're still sentient beings and if I were to lose one of them, I don't know that I'd be able to come back from that. They were my first friends," he explained shakily.

"Aquarius was mine." She paused and thought back to when she read Natsu's letter, remembering that first wave of loneliness that had hit her. "I was hurt after losing her but when Natsu left me, I recognized the feeling of being left behind and alone. I broke, remembering how I lost my mother when I was little and then how my father had passed only a month before we returned from Tenrou. I made a decision then, to find solace in isolation."

"It wasn't total isolation though." Bickslow noted that the rain had settled and the thunder was growing distant.

"You're right. But you're the first person I've spoken to about all this. Shit, you're the only one who's asked."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd call you a liar." he joked. The two sat in silence for a moment before Bickslow asked one final question. "You're okay though, right?"

Lucy smiled at his concern. "Yeah. I'm okay now, Bix. Thank you." Bickslow sat with her until her breathing evened out and she had fallen asleep, or he thought she had. When he stood and reached down so he could move her to the bed she slapped his hands away. "I like the storms," she whispered, "You can have the bed."

He was tired from the last couple days and wasn't about to argue with the woman who seemed quite content where she was at so he padded over to the second bed and quickly passed out to the sound of soft breaths and rolling thunder in the distance.


	3. You Showed Me

The next morning, Laxus finally opened his eyes. His muscles were stiff and senses dull, but he could still feel the egyptian cotton sheets against his skin and the heat of the morning sun on his face. He turned his head to look outside and was greeted with the sight of blonde hair. Evergreen didn't have blonde hair but maybe it only looked that way because of the sunlight. He squinted, trying to focus on the shapely figure that seemed to glow in the sun.

Thin but toned arms stretched above her head and his eyes roamed from the swell of her ass, to her pinched waist and ample bosom. She bent forward then, reaching for her toes while he was left with a clear view of what was hidden beneath the fabric that barely cover her to begin with. He bit his cheek and decided that this was most definitely not Evergreen. This woman before him was a fucking goddess. When she let her hands fall to her sides, her saw a pink Fairy Tail mark on the back of her right hand that could only belong to one woman.

Laxus' eyes went wide and he held his breath trying not to panic and looked to the other side of the room to see Bickslow, half naked, on the second bed sprawled out on his stomach with his face smushed into a pillow. If Bix was in the room then he hadn't slept with Lucy. Relieved but a bit disappointed, he reached behind him and grabbed a pillow. Hoping that his body would agree with him, he let it loose and hit his best friend square in the face. Bickslow groaned but made no effort to move.

At this point, Lucy had been distracted from her morning meditation and she just watched the blonde haired man silently. She had to stifle a laugh when Laxus threw a pillow at Bickslow only for the man almost ignore it completely. Lucy tiptoed over to Laxus who looked over to her, with a face the clearly said, 'What the fuck?' Before he said anything though, she brought a finger in front of her lips and then motioned for him to grab another pillow. She moved around the bed and grabbed the pillow that had been thrown previously lifting it above her head. Blue eyes met brown and Laxus smirked, throwing his pillow at the seith mage's face again. This time he lifted his head and Lucy smacked him forcing his face back down.

"Morning fuckers," he mumbled and reached up to rub his head. "Damn, that kinda hurt Cosplayer."

Lucy climbed into his bed and sat beside him, removing his hands and massaged his scalp. "I'm sorry, Bix. I couldn't resist."

"Hate to ruin the moment, but what the fuck are you doing here, Blondie?" Laxus asked curtly.

"Well aren't you full of sunshine this morning?" she shot back and then regretted her words. He had been injured the previous day and probably didn't quite remember what had transpired. That wasn't his fault and while it would probably all come back to him shortly, his tone had still cut her. Like he didn't want her there.

"Look I'm not trying to be a dick. I just need to piss and it's a little hard to get up."

"Oh, well I'll let Bickslow handle that and go get us some breakfast. "Lucy grabbed her bag then rushed to the bathroom and quickly got dressed. She came out a moment later. "I'll meet you guys at the station," she said and then left the hotel room, her cheeks stained red.

Bickslow sighed and threw a pillow at Laxus who caught it and hissed at the sudden movement. "Nice going, asshole."

"What? Laxus watched him as he got up and moved closer, offering him a hand. The lightning slayer took it and carefully pushed himself up. His abdomen burned so he reached down only to pull his hand away just as fast. "Fuck."

The bedroom door opened again and Freed stepped inside. "What happened? Lucy looked absolutely flustered."

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Bickslow responded. "Laxus is just being an ass. She'll be fine though."

"How are you feeling Laxus?" Freed asked as he stood up, getting a better look at the wound. Watching how the blonde's muscles were straining against his movement he could see that he was in pain, but wound didn't look to be infected. He was thankful that Lucy had thought enough of him to bring that medicine she had been given.

"I fucking hurt. Last thing I remember was chasing down that wyvern to some clearing and finding a second one there," he hissed. He remained silent then, waiting for one of his teammates to fill in the blanks and explain why Lucy had been in the room with them.

Instead, Bickslow handed him a jar of white ointment and pushed him to the bathroom. When his friend left him alone he moved to relieve himself and then washed his hands. Laxus straightened himself and looked at the wound on his stomach. Reaching for it again, things started to come back to him. He remembered chasing down only one wyvern that had led him in circles for a full day before he found it in the clearing. However, there were two and the second one had surprised him and knocked him down, wounding him in the process. He wouldn't have been able to get away from from the beast without help.

He remembered the blonde bangs that framed her face when she as looking down at him. Her voice, coaxing him to stay awake. Her smile. That beautiful fucking smile that had been just for him in that moment.

"Goddammit," he groaned, splashing cold water onto his face. In the mirror's reflection Bix was leaning against the doorframe watching him. "You could have said something, man."

He shrugged and grabbed a clean washcloth then motioned for Laxus to sit. "She already knows you're an arrogant ass. She'll be fine." Laxus just huffed and sat still while Bickslow made quick work cleaning the wound and applying the medicine, not being nearly as gentle as Lucy had been the previous night.

When he was done Laxus stood and walked out of the bathroom without a word to get dressed. He was pissed at himself and the medicine wasn't doing much for him in the way of pain. He'd get get over it though and ignore it but the train ride would be a little rougher than usual. At least, he wouldn't have to suffer through infection and decided that he would see Wendy when he made his way to the guild later.

When the three were ready to go, Bickslow tossed the jar to Laxus saying that it belonged to Lucy and he should probably return it. Laxus really felt like trash. Not just because he acted like an asshole to Lucy, but for the simple fact that Bickslow had just let him do so knowing how he felt about the celestial mage. Liking someone and wanting more than a single night with someone was something unfamiliar to Laxus. Lucy was a kindhearted woman with nothing to hide from anyone. Her very nature was to reach out and care about everyone around him while his was to push them away. She intimidated him, seeing the way that she made everyone want to be around that light of hers, so he pushed harder when she was near.

He was barely aware of Bickslow and Freed as they walked to the station until one of them had tapped on his shoulder. They informed him that Ever had called the previous night and that she was already headed back to Magnolia. Their client had increased their reward to a million jewel when told about the fourth wyvern. Freed suggested that they include Lucy and give her part of the reward since she had help them immensely. Laxus agreed and stated that he'd talk to his grandfather about it.

When they got to the station, Laxus saw Lucy sitting on a bench holding her hands in her lap face up. "Blondie, what happened to your hands?" he asked when she was within earshot.

"I forgot they were blistered," she admitted.

"Forgot? Surely that cut hurts," he said holding his hand out. She lifted her cut hand to his so he could see. "Does it hurt?" His voice suddenly soft.

"Well it didn't until I remembered it was there. I'll wrap them when we get on the train. One of you has that ointment, right?"

"I have it. I'll take care of your hands, Blondie." She looked up at him for a moment then smiled. Damn that smile. At this rate, be addicted to it before they got home. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to sound the way I did."

She could see in his eyes that he was ashamed even though his face made no such indication. She knew that she had probably overreacted by rushing out like she had but the way his voice had sounded had reminded her a little too much of her father when she was a little girl. Still, she had to remind herself that while Laxus was indeed a royal ass, he wasn't anything like her father.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you were uncomfortable and in pain when you woke up. By the way, you should drink your coffee before we get on the train."

Raising an eyebrow at her but grabbing the cup of black coffee nonetheless he asked, "What did you put in this?"

"I poisoned it," she deadpanned. He shrugged and took a sip anyhow, accepting that whatever form of payback the celestial mage wanted to get on him. Her face fell when he just took a sip without any sort of comeback and he smirked at her. "What if really had been poisoned?"

"Serves me right."

She shook her head and held a vial for him to see. "I added a dose of this stuff. It should make you feel a little better while we're on the train."

"Is that a tincture of the Belladonna you collected?" Freed asked as he walked up behind Laxus with the train tickets in hand.

"It is. It's supposed to help alleviate motion sickness and nausea. Might help you stay relatively comfortable since you're still injured. It works, trust me." She looked up at Laxus who was taking another sip of his drink.

"Damn, Cosplayer. First you come to the hotel with food and wine, then whip out that ointment, and now you've got something to keep him from getting sick. You better worship the ground this woman walks on, Laxus," Bickslow joked. Lucy blushed and shoved the vial back in her pack, causing her cut hand to bleed slightly.

"Dammit, Blondie. Would you be careful? And how do you know that stuff works."

"Because," Freed interjected, "Belladonna also happens to help soothe menstrual cramps." He chuckled and walked on to the train leaving a slightly blushing Laxus behind. That was definitely more than he needed to know.

"Aww, the mighty Laxus blushes!' Lucy squealed and trotted off after the rune mage.

"Fuck you, Blondie."

"She turned and winked at him, "Only after the third date, Sparky."

* * *

It was early afternoon when the train arrived back in Magnolia. Lucy wanted to grab a light lunch and also needed to speak with Levy and Cana about getting away this weekend. She waved goodbye to the group who thanked her again then went on her way. When she got to the guild she greeted everyone with that bright smile she always wore and reminded Erza to be at her place by seven that night for dinner.

At the bar she ordered some fresh fruit and took a seat next to Cana. Her eyes scanned the first floor and landed on Levy sitting in the corner with Gajeel and she shook her head. Seriously, the girl needed to be honest with herself because she was smitten with the iron slayer. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, he nudged the blue haired girl and pointed to the grinning celestial mage. Levy closed her book and went to the bar to join the two girls, noticing Lucy's bandaged hands.

"How'd your job go Lu? What happened to your hands?" she asked, swiping a piece of melon from Lucy's plate.

"They're just a little blistered is all. The job went fine. My client was nice enough to give me a tincture of the plant I collected."

"I know your job wasn't that boring. What else happened?," Cana asked with a gleam in her eye.

"Nothing happened? It was a simple job with no mishaps." She shrugged not understanding what Cana was trying to play at. "By the way, I think we should get away this weekend. Go to the spas. You two in?"

"Definitely," Cana said "It's been too long if you ask me."

"Yeah," Levy agreed. "You've been pretty busy since your team got back together."

Lucy couldn't argue with her. In the last three months she'd been spending most of her days with her team trying to make up for lost time. She didn't mind at first because she had sorely missed Natsu but things just weren't the same between the two. "I know, and I'm sorry about that. I plan on doing more solo work again and promise to make more time for us girls," Lucy said confidently and held a pinkie finger out to each girl. They both smiled and locked their own fingers with the celestial mage.

"If Lucy's making a promise, then it'll happen for sure," Cana cheered.

"Yep! We can always trust Lucy," Levy chirped.

Mira watched the girls at the bar and thought about what Lilly had mentioned to her just before Lucy arrived to the guild. The barmaid knew better than to start rumors but still, her inner demons were curious to see if there was any truth to the Exceed's words so she decided to pursue it and see what she could get the celestial mage to spill.

"Lucy, I have a question," Mira chimed.

"What about, Mira?"

"A little birdy saw you getting off the train earlier with Laxus, Bickslow, and Freed in tow. How is that possible when the Thunder Legion was in Akane for a mission?" Mira asked.

Lucy's eyes widened causing Levy and Cana to giggle. There was only one individual who loved gossip almost as much as Mira did. Lucy turned in her seat, her eyes trained on the exceed in question. "Before I say anything about what happened, that little birdy of your's knows better than to start rumors. Who knows what could happen if the wrong things are a said. I might even forget how to make those kiwi chips he enjoys."

Gajeel, hearing every word she said clearly, relayed the message to his partner who visibly shrank then flew over to the bar to apologize. Lucy just smiled and ordered him another juice then told her friends about the small adventure her job had become by a chance encounter. Before too long the three woman and everyone else around the bar were stunned as Lucy recounted what had happened. A writer and natural storyteller, she showed them everything that took place in the clearing with nothing more than words. Everyone was amazed with her story and wished that they could have seen the celestial mage in action as most of her guildmates were unaware of the fruits of her arduous training.

She did leave out the part about the hotel, only mentioning that they had invited her to stay with them to which she had agreed. They didn't need to know that she had enjoyed a night of drinking wine and trading stories with Bix and Freed. They certainly didn't need to hear about the comforting moment that she and Bix had shared. No, those were things that she would keep just for herself.

When she was done, Wendy had asked why Laxus hadn't come to the guild yet and Lucy told her that he had wanted to take care of a few things. She reassured the young woman that he was fine moving around and that he would be stopping by the guild soon.

Feeling Horologium's key, Lucy hopped from the bar to head to the market before going home to start dinner for her team. She had invited them over before she left for her job and planned on talking to them tonight, though that hadn't been her intentions for the dinner.

"I have to get going ladies. I'm having my team over for dinner, tonight."

"Okay. Have fun, Lu. Hey, you should invite Erza to come with us this weekend!" Levy said.

"I'll ask her. See you tomorrow, Levy!"

As she walked out of the guild she passed Laxus. Their eyes met briefly before she continued on her way. "Have a good evening, Sparky. By the way, Wendy's looking for you. I told her that you were fine but she's worried still."

He didn't respond to her and she didn't stop to wait for him either. He loved and hated the sight of her walking away from him, admiring the sway of her hips and how her hair billowed with the summer breeze.

"Hey Lucy!" he called without really meaning to. She stopped, turned around and cocked her head to the side. She was waiting for him to say something. "Thank you."

She smiled and waved to him before shouting back. "You're welcome, Laxus."

Laxus turned back to the guild and walked straight to the bar where a grinning Mira was waiting.

"Wipe that look off your face, Mira. Is the little one around?" The barmaid walked around the bar leaving Laxus to stand alone with his thoughts. He hadn't meant to call after Lucy but when she turned around, he felt his heart skip. He had thanked her, for what he wasn't quite sure. She had done actually don a lot for him. On the way to the station, Bickslow had told him that she been the one to take care of him at the hotel. Laxus felt that she deserved more than a simple thank and wanted to thank her properly. He just didn't know how to. "Dammit," he muttered wiping his hand over his face.

Wendy's sensitive ears picked up his curse and the slayer stepped around Mira to rush over to the lightning slayer. "Laxus, are you alright?" she questioned worriedly. "Are you in pain?"

He reached out and patted her head. "Nothing that'll kill me. Would you mind taking a look at this though?" he asked holding a hand over his stomach.

"Not at all. Lucy said that you were hurt. Next time you should come see me immediately though."

Up in the infirmary Laxus took a seat on an empty bed and undid the buttons on his shirt. Sighing he slid it off his shoulders and lied down on the bed. He waited as Wendy carefully cut and removed the bandages from his stomach. The wound was a clean cut. Minimal bleeding, but deep enough to be uncomfortable. She held her hands above him and released small pulses of healing magic her eyes moving between the mending flesh and her patient's face, making sure that he could only feel the energy of her magic and not the wound closing.

"There was no infection, but you had a small fever still," she said pulling her hands back to herself.

"I guess we got in the storm yesterday but Lucy made sure that the cut didn't get infected. She used this," he said remembering that he still had the ointment. "Why don't you keep it and ask her about it?" He'd meant to give it back to her but he had been more concerned with wrapping her hands this morning on the train. He guess she wasn't too concerned about getting it back or else she would have said something when he threw it back into his bag.

Wendy took the jar and beamed at the man. "Thank you. Your fever should be gone tomorrow. Just make sure you eat something and take it easy tonight." She left him alone then

Laxus stood and twisted his back cracking it several times. It felt good being able to move without his abdomen protesting every movement. He was buttoning up his shirt when there was a knock and his grandfather came into the room.

"How was the mission, Laxus?"

"The wyverns have moved on. The client even upped the reward when Ever mentioned the fourth beast."

Makarov raised an eyebrow then. "Oh? Well that's nice. How are you holding up? Lucy was in earlier and gave a very detailed account of what happened."

"Thanks to Lucy, I'm in much better condition than what I could be. She really saved my ass out team and I want to split the reward with her. She's more than earned a cut."

"Then include her," Makarov stated simply. "Though, do you really think that she'll accept it from you?"

"I'm not gonna give her much of a choice. If she doesn't want cash, then it'll go to a credit with the guild."

"Do whatever you wish, boy." Makarov thought then about the girl. The S-Class trials would be happening in a few months time and Erza had wanted to nominate the celestial mage. He had watched her mature this past year but wasn't quite sure if it was something she was ready for. "What do you think about her participating in this year's S-Class trials? Erza was wanting to nominate her this year but I'm not so sure about it yet. I was quite worried about her when Natsu left last year."

Laxus raised an eyebrow at his grandfather. The man had been giving his grandson more responsibilities as far as boring paperwork went. But Laxus knew that it was important and rarely complained though his biggest task yet was that he would be responsible for overseeing the trials this year and deciding who would be promoted so it meant a lot to Laxus that his grandfather wanted his opinion.

"She's grown in the last year, Gramps. And based on what I saw in that clearing, she'd give the other nominees a run for their money. She might not pass, but I think she's ready to at least participate."

Makarov's face grew thoughtful "Hmm. I guess I need to give it some more thought if I've got two of you supporting her. Anyway, I'm glad that you came home in one piece, boy. I've left some paperwork on your desk. The top file is of utmost importance so please take a look at it before you go home tonight.

"Dammit, Gramps," he huffed.

* * *

At ten to seven, there was a sharp knock on Lucy's door followed by several pairs of footsteps.

"Luce!" she heard Natsu call.

"In the kitchen!" she answered and turned her attention back to the capers she had in a pan. She was making one of her favorite summer dishes: flank steak with a watermelon, caper, and feta cheese salad in a sherry vinaigrette. The steak was good but Lucy's absolutely loved the different flavors that were mixed into the salad.

"Do you need any help?" Erza asked stepping into the kitchen.

"Could you make the vinaigrette while I sear these steaks, please?"

"Of course. You boys behave or there will be consequences."

Lucy watched both Natsu and Gray shrink back from her and leave the room. She shook her head then set the steaks on the heated cast iron flat top. And got to work cubing the small watermelon popping a couple pieces into her mouth.

"Erza, I'm planning on going to the spas this weekend with Cana and Levy. Would you like to join us?" she offered.

"Absolutely. It's been a long week with those two."

"It's only the middle of the week," Lucy chuckled. "I've got quite the story to tell those two."

The redhead chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure the two of them will be quite jealous to hear about how your mission went. It seems that Laxus was very lucky to have you show up when you did."

The two spent next twenty minutes chatting and joking with as they finished dinner and set the table. While they ate, Lucy told them about finding Laxus in the clearing and how she had stopped the beast from crushing him. Natsu looked a bit jealous that she had gotten to help take down the beast but commended her still, challenging her to a fight. Gray was a bit overly worried about her hands and was skeptical when she told him that they weren't a result from the fighting.

"Dinner was amazing, Lucy." Gray said and threw an arm around her shoulder pulling her into a partial hug.

"Yeah, thanks Luce." Natsu was wearing his signature grin which Lucy happily returned.

She got up from the table to bring the dirty dishes into the kitchen. "I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. I hope you got enough."

"Flamebrain here looks like he's gonna pass out so yeah, I think we got enough."

"Natsu, stay up. You're not sleeping here."

"But your bed is the best," he whined, laying his head on the table. Lucy came out of the kitchen a moment later with some tea and returned to her seat.

"Sit up. There's-" she hesitated. Lucy hadn't given what she was going say much thought. In fact, being with the Thunder Legion had pushed this talk to the back of her mind entirely. She didn't want to hurt them but she needed this. She needed the space that she'd grown accustomed to. She looked up and met each pair of eyes. "There's something I need to tell you guys. Something that I now realize should have been said some time ago."

Gray threw his arm around her again. "What's on your mind, Lucy?"

She looked across the table and then into Gray's eyes. "I need to take a break from going on missions as a team. I want to work on my own more."

Her confidence disappeared when Gray pulled away from her, looking almost disgusted that she had said such a thing. She retreated into herself and almost apologized but she then she looked into Natsu's eyes and saw him nod. He wanted her to continue, to stand up for herself.

"You serious Lucy? Why?" Gray asked incredulously.

"Gray, shut up and let her talk."

"Fuck you flamebrain."

"Shut the fuck up, and let me talk. Shit..."She looked away then, tears falling. "Look I'm not leaving the team. I still want to go on missions with you guys, I can't do it all the time."

"Why though? This isn't like you," Gray accosted..

"Oh and you know me so well don't you, Gray? I spent a year working alone and not once did you say anything to me. So why is it a problem now?" She took a deep breath, keeping her emotions under control.

"I was working through some stuff," he said meekly.

"So was I! Hell, so was everyone else!" she shouted.

"You pulled away from us, Lucy."

"Yes I did. But you know what? I'm not sorry for the choice I made. Was it the smartest one to make? Who knows. Still, I'll never regret that decision because not only do I like the solo work, I like the woman I've grown into. I'm proud of who I've become and I'm losing that because I've been doing everything with the team!" She was seething and couldn't care less if she was hurting him at this point. Never before had she been unable to explain herself to someone but here she was, standing face to face with the ice make mage. She started to shiver and saw her breath puff from her mouth.

"Lucy, Nobody in the guild works alone really. You should always have someone there to watch your back. What happens when you lose your keys or if you get hurt? If you want a break from the team, why not just take one of us?"

"The last thing I need to hear from you of all people, Gray, is that I need someone to hold my fucking hand. I've more than proven that I don't need to be coddled when I saved Laxus from that damn wyvern." She took a breath and finally said, "The fucked up part is that I even have to prove myself to others for them to see that I can take care of myself." She stopped then, unable to say anything more to the ice make mage.

This wasn't how Lucy had wanted this to play out but Gray had hurt her with that look and instead of running away, she fought and hurt him in return. Both Erza and Natsu had been silent the whole time. Erza was probably thinking about how to calm Gray down and help him understand why she needed the space. It was likely that Erza had seen this coming. Natsu though, she didn't know what he was thinking and that scared her.

The apartment was quiet, with the only sound coming from Lucy. She was still standing, her face buried into her hands. Gray ran a hand through his hair and sighed then left without a word. Hearing the door slam brought Lucy to her knees and the woman wailed. She almost wanted to go after him and apologize but a pair of warm arms wrapped around her and she curled into Natsu's chest.

He looked up at Erza who just nodded at him then left to find Gray. There was more weighing on Lucy's heart than just needing space from the team. Something that she and Natsu should have talked about months ago when he returned.

She'd known the blonde for just over two years and saw her as a sister of sorts. She used to feel the need to protect and help her but over the last year she watched the woman truly blossom. Without Natsu's constant presence in her life, Lucy had grown independent. She wanted more out of life but didn't know what so she was going on her own adventure. It saddened Erza a bit, but she knew that for Lucy, family was everything. No matter how far the celestial mage pulled away, she would always return to her family.

The two sat on the floor of her dining room for until the only thing that escaped Lucy were shaky breaths. She clutched to his shirt and he pulled her closer, rocking back and forth and running his hand through her hair just like she had done for him so many times before. Seeing his best friend like this and thinking about how close they used to be broke his heart.

He cried.

"I'm so sorry, Luce. I did this to you. I'm so, so sorry Lucy."

"You hurt me so much, Natsu," she whimpered.

He shook his head. " You were already hurting, Luce. I just made it worse."

"You showed me the world, and then left."


	4. Sleep witha Smile

After Gray had stormed out and Erza chased him down, Natsu held her through the night. It wasn't until Natsu felt her shaky breaths even out that he carefully lifted and then carried Lucy to her bedroom. He tucked her in and walked back out to the dining room, hearing Erza come in. Her team, her family, was falling apart around her and she was on damage control.

The redhead stood in the doorway and waited for Natsu to say something. It wasn't her place to judge or discipline at the moment but she wanted to hear what the dragon slayer had to say for himself. He sat at the table with his hands in his lap and did nothing. Said nothing. His mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure out where he had done things wrong and how he could fix it. This problem, though was something he couldn't solve with a fight. He had left so that he could grow stronger to protect his loved ones and in turn hurt the one person he loved most. He should have seen sooner that she was hurting. He thought then, back to the day he returned.

_~~.~~_

_When the guild doors swung open he saw Lucy standing in the corner, leaning over Gajeel's usual table, talking to Levy. The blonde was as beautiful as ever, her hair pulled up and to the side like she used to wear it when he first met her. It was longer now, falling past her waist even pulled up as high as it was. He had stood in the doorway of the guild for only a moment before a wave of silence washed over the guild and she looked over at the door, her eyes staring into his._

_All eyes turned to her then and she walked toward the doors. Natsu beamed at her and met her halfway collecting her into his arms._

" _Welcome home," she whispered into the crook of his neck and he pulled her closer._

_The guild celebrated that day and well into the night. She had looked so happy but every time their eyes met, he saw her silently asking the same question: Why?_

_~~.~~_

He didn't know what it had meant at the time but now, sitting in her apartment with tear stained cheeks, she wanted to know why he left. Why he didn't say anything to her. Why she had to be hurt. Hurt. She had been hurting for so long that not even him coming home could make it better. He looked up at Erza with renewed tears.

"Talk to me, Natsu," she whispered, sitting across from him.

"I don't know what to say. Seeing her like this hurts so much."

"I don't want to say that you deserve this, Natsu but you played a part in the pain that she's feeling."

"I know, Erza. I should have said something to her but..." he couldn't get the words out.

"You would have stayed," she finished. He nodded. "Why?"

"I love her."

Erza stood up then and pointed to the door. "You should go home. I'll stay with her tonight."

He did as she said and turned to say something at the door but Erza slammed it in his face. She couldn't risk Lucy waking up and hearing him talk about that. After the night she had, the last thing she needed was the man she saw only as her brother saying that he loved her. There was obviously more that needed to be said between the two of them but it would have to wait until another time.

* * *

The weekend couldn't come fast enough for Lucy. The following morning after dinner with her team, she woke up and found Erza passed out on her couch. Not wanting to wake her up, Lucy opted for a long bath and when she got out her friend had already taken off leaving her a note:

_Take a day for yourself. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're not feeling well._

_I hope we're still on for this weekend._

_-Erza_

So on Saturday night when she was sitting under the stars in the baths of Balsam Village with three of her best friends, to say Lucy was happy would be an understatement. She sat there, leaning against the side and thought about that morning in the hotel with the Thunder Legion. Despite him being an ass and then her rushing out of the hotel, it had been a good morning. It was nice seeing that mischievous gleam in his stormy blue eyes and that shit eating grin of his that made her skin tingle and heat pool between her thighs.

She hated this crush of hers but it was the one thing that she could count on to make her smile right now so she kept it filed away in that precisely organized mind of hers. Though while she hated it, a small part of her was relieved that it was just a fantasy of hers because so long as she kept it in her head there was no chance of her getting hurt. Unless he decided to settle down but this was Laxus, settling down was not something he did.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, her friends had noticed her silence and the smile that now graced her face. It was a smile of pure happiness so they couldn't help but wonder; Who was it that made Lucy smile like that? Hearing the water gently slosh around her, Lucy filed away her fantasy and opened her eyes to look at the other women she was sharing the bath with.

"Luuu," Levy drawled, "What's that smile for?"

"Nothing really," she shrugged, "I'm just super relaxed and happy to be away from the guild."

"Nooo, there's something else behind that smile. What else happened in Clover Town? With the Thunder Legion?" Cana asked.

"What?! Nothing happened. They invited me to crash with them for the night so I did. The next morning Laxus was conscious so we went home. That's it."

"How about some Sake?" Erza offered, drawing attention away from the celestial mage.

Two bottles of Sake later the four women were happily drunk and teasing a flustered Levy about a certain dragon slayer. The poor girl really just needed to ask him out already. She was head over heels for him and even a blind man would be able to see that he felt the same about her.

"Why are we talking about my love life?! I thought Lucy was the one with things to hide." Levy exclaimed.

"Because," Lucy started, " You miss McGarden, are in denial. You liiiike him. And he likes you so when we get back, put on your sexiest lingerie and favorite outfit and tell him."

"Again, why are we talking about me? A better question to ask is why are you, Lucy Heartfilia, still single?"

"Oh don't be sore Levy, you're hella cute when you get tipsy and flustered," Cana teased, her words causing Levy to redden even further. "Though she does ask a very good question Lucy.?"

"Because I haven't met anyone worth my time and attention," she lied.

"Come on, Lu. There's has to be someone. Even if it's just a crush." Lucy's eyes widened and her friend's gasped. "See, there is someone."

"Who is it, Lucy? Do we know him?" Erza asked.

"What does it matter? He doesn't date."

"Well then he really isn't worth your time if he said no to a date with you," Levy rebuked.

"I didn't ask," Lucy admitted.

"What?!" the three women said in unison.

"Lu you have to tell us who he is," Cana demanded.

"Hell no. My lips are sealed. I don't care how drunk you get me, I won't tell you because the moment that I do, my life is over."

"Lu, we're not going to say anything," Levy said trying to reach out to the mage. When Levy's fingers brushed her arm, Lucy pulled away. "Come on Lu, don't be like that."

"No! I will be like that. If I say his name then it all becomes real. Inside my head, it's just a crush, nothing but wishful thinking that I can push to the back of my mind where I can ignore it and not get hurt."

"Get hurt? Lucy no one's going to hurt you." Erza was concerned now. Lucy looked afraid but of what, she had no clue. It was just the four of them and they were only talking.

"I'm scared, Erza. The people I care most about always leave me behind. I'm still afraid of investing my feelings into someone still."

"Lucy," Erza bade her sister a hand and waited for her to take it. Lucy took it and Cana grabbed her other hand. The girls moved about so that they were sitting in a circle, fingers interlocked with each other. Erza lifted Lucy's right hand so the celestial mage would see her guild mark.

"You are a Fairy Tail mage, Lucy, which means that you'll never be alone. But you're also so much more than that. You are strong, one the strongest people that I've ever met. You've experienced so much loss in life but I still see you with that bright smile nearly everyday. I've seen you get hurt before, physically and emotionally and you've always fought through it all to come back brighter each time."

Cana squeezed the hand she was holding and Lucy looked at her. "She's right, Lu. You're not the kind of woman to sit back and watch life just pass you by. You're always in the heart of the adventure."

Lucy shrugged and slid farther into the water. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want in life." It wasn't a lie.

"No one is saying to run off and marry the guy. Like you've been telling Levy, just be honest with yourself. In time, if you decide he's not what you want then you drop him and walk away."

"You deserve to be happy, Lucy. And the smile you had a bit ago is something I only see when you're writing or watching me read your new chapter. If that fantasy of yours makes you smile like that I can only imagine what it'd be like if it were real." Lucy looked into Levy's hazel eyes.

She really did have the best friends. She had to remind herself that they had been there for her when Natsu left. They did what they could to help her heal but she had already retreated into herself for the most part. Even now she trying to do just that but her friends didn't let her. They were holding her hands, keeping her grounded with them and she was thankful. She needed that. Needed to hear that she could indeed be happy if she just opened herself up just a little bit.

"Thanks. You girls are the best."

"Oh, we know," Cana confirmed and moved behind the celestial mage, her hands trailing her flattened stomach. "So, about that name?" she whispered into her ear. Lucy shivered when the woman's fingers brushed the underside of her breasts.

"Ah, C-Cana," she gasped.

"You make the cutest sounds, Lu," Levy teased.

Lucy smacked Cana's wandering hands away and covered herself causing the three to laugh. She just rolled her eyes and moved to the opposite end of the bath and leaned her head back to look at the stars once more.

* * *

Monday around noon, Lucy sat with her team at the guild. Gray was missing and apparently hadn't been in all weekend but she and Erza were reassured by Mira that he had taken a job for a few days. Lucy tried not to worry about him knowing that he just need to blow off some steam. Erza agreed with her and was satisfied just knowing where he was.

Lucy noticed that Levy was sitting a little closer to Gajeel and she smiled. She was happy that her friend was finally able to admit that she really wanted something more with the man and judging by the look on his face, he was happy too. Lucy looked up to the second floor then, she'd seen Bickslow and Freed come in earlier with the former stopping at her table to ask about her weekend. They had talked for a few minutes before Freed had called him up to Laxus' office.

Lucy could now admit that she wanted something with the lightning slayer though she had zero clue how to say anything. She was convinced that he man had no interest in her whatsoever because if he had, surely he would have said something. He was the kind of man that when he saw something he liked, he went after it. She sighed and turned her attention back to her team. Erza had followed Lucy's gaze to the second floor and gave her a knowing look. Lucy felt her cheeks burn up and just smiled sheepishly at her friend.

She sat with Happy napping in her lap when Lisanna asked if the group wanted to go on a mission stating that she needed a break from working with her brother. Erza and Natsu quickly agreed. When Lucy agreed as well her teammates looked at her with surprise and the celestial mage had to remind them that she wasn't leaving the team, just that she wanted to do more solo work. Lisanna tried to apologize for pressuring her but Lucy wouldn't hear it. She hadn't been on a job for a week and wanted to get out. That and rent was due at the end of next week.

While they were at the request board trying to pick something Evergreen approached the group and tapped Lucy on the shoulder. The blonde turned around and greeted the fairy mage.

"Hi Evergreen!"

"Hey Lucy, you're not busy at the moment are you?" Lucy looked at Erza who shooed her away and told her that they'd be at the station at eight tomorrow morning.

"I'm free now. What's up?"

"Could my team and I have a word with you? We tried to catch you last week but you weren't at the guild much."

"Of course. I was a little under the weather last week. I hope it wasn't too urgent."

"No it wasn't. Come on, the boys are upstairs with Laxus."

The brunette took Lucy's hand and led her upstairs to Laxus' office. There was a decent sized stack of paperwork sitting on his desk and Lucy laughed to herself. Of course the man would be as bad as his grandfather about paperwork. Freed was in the corner at a smaller table looking like he was working the books. Given that he was raised very similarly as her, she wasn't surprised that he knew how to balance large accounts. She saw Bickslow sitting on a couch looking as bored as ever so she plopped down beside him and held out a hand for one his babies to sit on.

"You're lucky, Cosplayer. They never let anyone hold them."

"Well, I was always called Lucky Lucy when I was little. Something silly my parents had come up with. I don't remember the story." She shrugged and looked over at the man behind his desk. His eyes were strained from reading for far too long. "Stop staring at paperwork for a bit, Sparky. It only gets worse the longer you force yourself to look at the words."

Laxus looked up at her, blinking several times before rubbing his eyes to clear his hazy vision. She was right. He'd been staring at paperwork for hours and noticed that he was having to reread things over several times before comprehending what was written.

"So, Evergreen said you guys wanted talk to me? Am I in trouble?"

"Were you causing trouble at the spas this weekend, Cosplayer?"

"Of course I was. I was with Cana after all," she joked.

"You're not in trouble, Blondie. We-" Freed cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at Laxus. The blonde sighed then started again. "I wanted to thank you for your help last week. Not just for saving my ass but for helping us with our job."

Lucy looked around the room to see each mage nod in agreement and Evergreen moved to speak. "That night after Bickslow called me, I told our employer what happened. He was surprised about there being a fourth wyvern but also worried that one of us had been hurt so he upped the reward. The four of us talked and we wanted to include you in the split."

Lucy wanted to say something but when the words didn't come Freed spoke. "You've more than earned what we're offering, Lucy. Laxus told us his version of what happened that day and again we agreed that the mission wouldn't have been finished without you."

"Listen, Blondie. Either you accept the money in cash, or I put it toward a guild credit for you. I've already gotten the approval from gramps and Mira will know as well so you can't try to pay for anything."

Bickslow nudged her then. "I'd take the cash, Cosplayer. Just sayin."

Lucy really wasn't in the mood to argue and looked at each of them again. They weren't just trying to be nice and say thank you, they actually believed that she deserved to be compensated for her work. Hell, Laxus had even told them his account of what went down and she wondered then, what exactly had he said about her? Surely he was at least a little bit impressed with how she had handled herself out there. She smiled at the thought. If these mages thought she deserved the money, who was she to turn it down.

"Alright. I'll take cash."

"Really?" Laxus asked. "I mean, I figured you would argue and not want it."

"I tried to do that with Freed already. Really don't feel like going at it again with him."

"Whatever you say, Blondie. Makes my life easier. There's more thing I wanted to talk about in regards to your job last week. You three mind?"

Both blondes watched and waited until Bickslow, the last one out, smiled at the celestial mage then closed the door. Lucy crossed her arms, pushing her breasts together. Laxus averted his eyes and looked back at the papers in front of him. The woman was across the room but her scent was surrounding him. Strawberries and toasted coconut. He was becoming addicted to it, honing in on it whenever she was at the guild. It calmed him and drove him crazy at the same time.

"Am I in trouble now, Sparky?"

"Far from it, Blondie." He smirked at her and she looked away. "Your client, Mathis, was very please with you last week. In fact, he contacted the guild to ask for permission to call on you specifically if he ever had future jobs."

"I'd be happy to work with him again. I'll take Wendy next time, who knows, she might be able to learn a few things from him."

"Yeah. I should get some of that stuff you added to my coffee that morning we came home. It really helped."

"Well I gave some of it to Mira. I'm not gonna use it all that often and thought it would be nice to have something to give you dragon slayers before you left on a job or something. Just ask her and she'll give you a dose."

Lucy was surprised to find that it was easy for her to talk with Laxus. Sure, the two had taken to teasing one another quite often but that had only started because he insisted on calling her blondie even though his hair was the same exact same color. Made no sense to her but she had come to enjoy the playful banter they seemed to share.

"Lucy?" he asked a bit hesitantly. She stood up and walked closer to his desk, tilting her head to the side. "I, uh, wanted to thank you for saving me out there. I know you've heard it a million times already from my team but I haven't said it yet, so again, thanks."

Lucy just shook her head and smiled at him. "You already thanked me. Back in the clearing while you nuzzled into my lap."

He tried to think back. He didn't remember that but at the time he was injured and straining to stay conscious so if the woman said it had happened then he would believe her. Even if it was embarrassing as fuck.

"Aww, you're blushing again, Sparky."

"Get the fuck outta here, Blondie. I need to catch up on this shit," He snapped.

The celestial mage turned around to leave him he thought but instead she moved to where Freed had been working on the books. "Wow, Freed really knows his stuff."

"He was raised to work on that kind of stuff."

"You mean he was taught to work the books. All children of high society are," she mocked. "However, the girls are groomed to do this kind of work because the men of the house are the face of the family."

"You know how to do that stuff?"

"Yep," she said adding emphasis to the p. She looked back at him to see he was still struggling to read. "I already told you, Sparky, take a fuckin break. Get out the office for a minute and get something to eat. Imagine working the books here and not being able to see straight. One mistake could screw up the entire balance and say you owe money when actually you're owed money."

"You seem to know your stuff, Blondie," he said standing up and rolling his shoulders back. Lucy watched his muscles tense then relax and gulped.

"It's what I was raised to do. Wives and daughters of the rich and noble are more than just pretty faces though most of them are just that" she scoffed. When he reached for the door she stopped him and said one last thing before his team could hear them. "You know, if you ever want help I'd be willing you lend ya a hand. You know, if you ever get bored of spending your late nights in the office with Freed."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said before they stopped at the table his team was occupying. Evergreen grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit. Laxus chuckled then asked her, "You want something Blondie?"

"Strawberry milkshake."

"Yo Laxus, get me a drink please?" Bix called after him.

"Fuck off Bix!"

The seith mage jumped up and followed him. "You ass! I said please!"

An hour later, Laxus went back to his office leaving Lucy with the Thunder Legion so she stayed and spent the afternoon with them. Evergreen worried about the man but Lucy assured her that he just needed someone to make him step away from it all every few hours. The women got to talking and Lucy learned that the two of them had a lot to say about fashion and makeup, something the celestial mage wasn't used to. She made the comment that it had been forever since she'd spent a day shopping and suggested that she and Ever do just that. The woman happily accepted, saying that she didn't get a chance to shop much since she spent most of her time with men and she didn't like going alone.

* * *

Four days later Laxus was sitting in his office alone because his team was restless and pissing him off. He was the last person who wanted to be stuck behind a desk but he had to be for now. He didn't go on small jobs anymore, just high paying ones that took him away from home for weeks at a time. It was what he and his grandfather had agreed upon. It allowed him to get familiar with how things were handled behind the scenes in the guild but didn't permanently trap him. For the first week, sometimes two, after a mission his team would stay and help out. They didn't have to but he never turned them away until they started to complain.

Today would be that day as Evergreen decided to take a small job with Elfman the previous day leaving him with Bickslow and Freed. Everytime, without fail, Bix would complain and then Freed would chastise the man. Much to his surprise, they had lasted hour before he kicked them out. He was already pissed off having had to look at a rather large file concerning Team Natsu first thing in the morning, These were the days when he loathed paperwork as he was forced to stare at the same file for hours.

He had half a mind to give the file to Erza and let her deal with her team's mess but when the scent of strawberries and coconut hit him he calmed down, setting the file aside. Moments later he could hear the tell tale of Natsu starting a fight. He wondered what kind of mood Lucy would be in today since she had been with her team on this mission and had received very little reward, though he knew that she wasn't straining for money since he had given her a cut of the reward from his last job.

He wanted to call her under the pretense of needing help just so he could see her but didn't want to force her to work with him on boring paperwork. So he stayed put and focused on the scent that was uniquely her to ease his nerves as he got back to work. Several minutes later there was a sharp knock on his office door.

"What is it?" he called, giving whoever was there permission to come in.

"Got a minute, Sparky?" her lilting voice rang. He looked up and saw the woman standing in the partially open doorway with her hips cocked and an unamused look on her face.

"Blondie? You need something?" His eyes followed her as she stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind her before walking up to his desk and placing a cold beer in front of him.

"It'd be nice if Mira would stop trying to play matchmaker," she said, her eyes raking over him. "Though I guess she could have picked worse for me." She shrugged and he smirked at her, grabbing the mug.

"So Blondie likes to talk shit," he said shaking his head and then took a drink. "Seriously though, do you need anything?"

"I was just looking for Evergreen. I didn't see her anywhere and Mira claimed not to know. Said that I should ask you."

"Damn those women. I should have known that they were up to something when Ever left a message for you with me and not Mira. Ever went on a job yesterday and should be back some time tonight. Said something about you and her going shopping."

"Hey, don't be too mad at them, their hearts are in the right place. Though if you had any interest at all in me, I'm positive you would have already said something."

Laxus was stunned. How could anyone not be interested in a woman like Lucy? Hell, she was everything he could want in a woman. She smart, caring, had an attitude half as bad as his and she was drop dead gorgeous. He just couldn't say that to her because she deserved someone better than him. She just stood there, her eyes cast to the ground for a moment before he watched her slowly back away toward the door.

"I'll umm, let you get back to work. Sorry for disturbing you, Laxus."

She turned around then, desperate to escape before further humiliating herself. She hadn't a clue as to what had come over her or why she had said those things. Nevertheless she needed to get far away from the man behind that desk. Laxus, though was determined to keep her with him for a little longer.

"Lucy?" She stopped with her hand on the door handle and turned her head to look at him. He was standing now, leaning over his desk.

"Yeah?"

"I was, uh, about to take a look at the finance reports. You mind staying for a little bit? I just wanna make sure I'm doing all this right."

She smiled at him then and he returned it. She was speechless. Laxus Dreyar was actually smiling at her and it made her heart skip. Something that he heard.

"Yeah, I'll stay."

They worked well into the night. He learned that she was a great multitasker as she taught him the basics on how to work the books while she read over the file that had been on his desk concerning her team. Once he got the hang of things she let him work as she moved on to various files completing each one and then returning them to the same stack saying that he should still look over them to make sure she didn't make any mistakes.

After they took a break for dinner he thanked her for staying and said that she could leave if she wanted but she stayed. She didn't look at anymore files for the night choosing to look over his entries in the finance records and commended him on doing a good job. When the guild had grown quiet, Lucy stepped out and went to help Mira clean up while he finished one last file before he walked her home.

"You really didn't have to stay, Blondie," he said as they walked down the street side by side.

"You've said that how many times now tonight? If I had wanted to leave, I would have. You're good company and a quick learner."

"Maybe you're just a good teacher," he offered.

She stopped in front of her apartment building and faced him. "Flattery?!" she laughed, " What's next, flowers?"

"How about a date?" If Laxus was nervous, he didn't show it.

"A date sounds nice."

"Ever's claimed you all day tomorrow, so how about the day after? 8 pm, I'll pick you up."

"Can't wait, Sparky. Goodnight," she smiled then walked inside.

She had to force herself from running up the stairs knowing that he was close enough to still hear her. Inside her apartment, she squealed in delight and went to start a bath. Not having anyone to talk to, she called Virgo to her and spent the rest of her night talking excitedly to the maid spirit while she bathed Lucy, bringing her to a state of complete relaxation before setting her off to bed. Virgo sat at her keyholder's side and watched her sleep with a smile on her face.


	5. Too Much is Never Enough

Lucy and Evergreen began their shopping date with breakfast at a cafe on the canal then made their way to the shopping district. Lucy told her how Laxus had acted when she had asked him about Ever's whereabouts the previous day. The woman apologized if Lucy had been uncomfortable but she admitted to Lucy that Laxus had been infatuated for some time. Lucy just played her part of the surprised girl, not having told Ever that he had already asked her on a date. The celestial mage wanted to see the look on his teammates faces when they found out.

The girls continued on when Evergreen asked Lucy how she liked working solo. Lucy told her that it took some getting used to at first but overall she rather enjoyed the independence of it all and not having to share or lose any of the reward. She admitted that she was saving money to get a bigger place but had yet to start looking. She honestly didn't know where to begin looking. Lucy just wanted to move on from from what she considered childhood in a way. She didn't think of herself or her teammates as children per se, and while the memories that she had made in that apartment would always be some of her fondest, it was time for a change of scenery. If she kept up with the solo work, she'd have enough saved up to put money down on a new place.

After lunch time the two women walked into a fourth department store, having spent the morning in three but leaving each one empty handed, determined to spend a little cash on something cute. Besides, Lucy wanted something new for her date with Laxus the following night.

"This was such a great idea, Lucy! I haven't had a girls day in years," Ever claimed.

"I'm happy that you're enjoying yourself. I'm just glad to have a decent shopping partner," Lucy shot back.

"What about Levy and Cana. Aren't you three really close?"

"We are but Levy, stars bless her, has one very specific style of dress that she wears. Sure, I've got my style but I have a million different ways of putting outfits together because I like variety. As for Cana, she only ever comes out to have a chance at feeling me up." Lucy pulled a simple green off the shoulder sundress with a lace hem off the rack and studied it for a moment, thinking that it would be perfect for the fairy mage.

"I don't blame her. You've got great assets, Lucy and know how to flaunt them," Ever teased.

"Please stop. What do you think about this one?" she asked holding the green dress out to her.

Evergreen took it from her and looked at it. Deciding to try it on she handed Lucy the one she was holding. "You try this one on."

Minutes later the women stepped out of the dressing rooms to check out the outfits they'd chosen for each other. Lucy thought Evergreen looked adorable in the thigh length dress and told her that she needed a pair of flats or sandals to finish the look. Lucy had stepped out wearing a midnight blue maxi dress with a high low hem. The top of the dress was styled with a v cut halter neck and a double breasted front. Ever had very good taste and Lucy had decided what she would wear for her date with Laxus.

"You're taste in clothing is impeccable Ever. Seriously, I'm in love."

"Glad you like it. You're not so bad yourself."

The two changed out of their clothes and continued to shop for a couple more hours. When they were exhausted and bored, they went their separate ways to drop off their loot from the day's adventure and freshen up a bit. An hour later they met up at the guild and Ever started to lead them to Freed's house for dinner. Their arms were linked and they skipped down the street, nothing but smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for spending the day with me, Lucy. It really means a lot to me."

"I had a blast today, Ever. I think we should hang out more."

"You want to?" Ever asked, slightly nervous but happy all the same. Evergreen felt something familiar then. Acceptance. The last time she had felt that was the day Laxus and Bickslow had invited her to join their team. The woman had always had difficulty making friends because of her eyes but when she had met those two men her world had changed. She stopped walking then and looked over at Lucy.

"What's wrong, Evergreen? Why are you crying?" Lucy asked, concern filling her voice.

Ever wiped away the stray tears and linked her arm with Lucy's again, continuing the walk to Freed's house. "I was just thinking to back when Laxus invited me to the guild and then his team. It was just him and Bix at the time but I remember that they didn't seem to care about what my magic could do to people. They were the first ones to see me for me."

Lucy knew that feeling as well. Her team had made sure that she always felt like they wanted her with them because she was her and no one else.

"Ever, how long have you guys been together?"

Evergreen had to think for a moment. "Hmmm, well Laxus and Bix were partners for almost a year before I joined them. And then Freed joined the team about six months after I did so if you don't count those seven years that we're missing, the Thunder Legion has been a team for nearly five years."

Lucy was a little jealous. "Wow. No wonder you guys are so close. So, what made you think of the past?"

"You did, Lucy. When you said that we should hang out more it was like that time again. I was being accepted for me. I've never made friends easily if at all so I kinda latch onto people when I'm comfortable around them."

Lucy just shook her head and laughed. In some ways she and Ever were similar. They both grew up as lonely girls and when given the chance the were loved and accepted, they latched onto the source. She couldn't help but think then, was that why Natsu had left her? Had she been so attached to him that he needed space from her?

"I latch on too," she whispered then. "I grew up alone when I lost my mother and there are a lot of days when I still feel lonely."

"You always pull out of that feeling though. You reach out to everyone around you. Unlike Laxus, he pushes everyone from him."

"You can't blame him. It's how he protects himself. Just as you said, I reach out to people because I'm afraid to be left alone."

They stopped and Evergreen pulled Lucy into a hug. "You have me Lucy. And somehow you've got Bickslow wrapped around your finger already. You'll have to tell me about that someday."

The women turned to see Freed standing on the porch of a white victorian styled townhouse. It would figure that the man would live in a house the resembled his noble background. He waved them inside and led them to the dining room. For a second time Lucy enjoyed dinner, courtesy of Bickslow, with the Thunder Legion. This time over baingan bharta and a milder coconut chicken curry complete with homemade naan and basmati rice.

When they were done eating and about to start cleaning up, Freed felt his lacrima comm ring. He picked up and saw Laxus on the other end.

"Laxus, everything alright?"

"No. Get everyone and get to the station. Train leaves in thirty."

Lucy, having heard the lightning slayer"s voice grabbed the comm from Freed who went upstairs. She looked at the blonde who gave her a sheepish smile.

"Don't rush off without your team this time, Sparky. I need you back here in one piece because you now owe me a date."

"I know. I'll make it up to you."

"Be careful," she said and cut the connection.

At this point Evergreen and Freed had stopped and were starting at the celestial mage. Lucy just shrugged and shooed them out saying that she would clean up.

* * *

Five days passed before Laxus and his team returned. After the second day, Lucy took a day job to cure her boredom and on the third day she had met with a realtor to talk about buying a place. They talked about what Lucy was currently living in and what she would like to live in. As a courtesy, the agent had taken her to look at a few places to get a better idea of the mage wanted. She was impressed but the places that she'd been shown were much too large for her.

The day Laxus got back, Lucy was sitting at the bar sipping on her usual milkshake with a local magazine the the realtor had given her to look at and mark anything that caught her eye regardless of price. She had been skeptical at first, but had been reassured that numbers could always be negotiated. So there she was, circling everything that she thought she would like and wanted to see more of. She was looking at a studio flat, loving the idea of the open concept but worried that the bathroom wouldn't be up to her expectations. She shrugged and circled it anyway feeling an arm around her shoulder.

She looked up to a visorless Bickslow and beamed up at the man. "You guys are back! Is everything alright?"

The seith mage sat beside her and waved Mira down. The barmaid nodded and brought him a drink a moment later. "Guess some of the wyverns returned the forest just north of Akane but they were a lot more violent this time. They're gone for sure now though." He slid the magazine away from Lucy and looked at it, raising an eyebrow at her. "Moving huh? You picked a place yet?"

She shook her head and capped her pen. "Only just started looking. I met with a realtor the other day. He told me to mark anything I might be interested in regardless of price. I've found a few I want to look at so we'll see how I like them but most everything seems like it'll be too much space for just me."

"Hey, if you never find anything, you could always room with me. I've got an extra room," he offered with his tongue rolling from his mouth.

"Yeah right, Bix. If I had you for a roommate, my already bleak dating life would cease to exist," she mocked.

Bix clutched his chest and staggered off the stool he'd been sitting on. "My poor heart. I thought you were nice, Cosplayer."

"I am," she said and winked at him. "I'm only rude to the really important people in my life."

Then just as she wondered where he was, she saw Laxus approach the bar from the corner of her eye and turned to him. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked downright pissed but his expression softened slightly when their eyes met.

"Hey, Sparky. You look tired."

"You have no idea, Blondie." he responded.

"Go home then. Sleep."

He shook his head and chuckled. "Can't. I have to work today so that I can take you on a date tomorrow."

She tapped a finger on her chin her eyes looking up in thought. "You do owe me one of those, don't you?"

He nodded at her. "I do."

"How do you know that I'm free tomorrow?" She tilted her head.

"I don't," he admitted in defeat. "I'm just really hoping that you aren't and you'll let me take you out tomorrow."

"Hmm, I can't stay out late," she teased then continued seriously, "I'm leaving in two days. Got a mission with Erza."

"I'll have you home by sunset, then," he countered.

"Will it be fun?"

"This is me we're talking about so you tell me, Blondie." When she said nothing and raised an eyebrow at him he added, "I promise it'll be fun."

"Fine then, it's a date." she sighed with fake disinterest. He looked down at her with that shit eating grin of his which she returned with ease. The woman fascinated him to no end. The way she challenged him kept him on his toes and he enjoyed the feeling.

* * *

The next morning Lucy woke up to the smell of a hot breakfast being made and sure enough in her kitchen were Virgo and Leo. Lucy couldn't help but to laugh at their antics. Today was an important day sure but she didn't think of it has a big deal. She never had but she also didn't have the heart to turn her spirits away whenever they did something like this. So she spent her morning with them before getting ready for a day out.

She had no idea what Laxus had planned but he had promised that it would be fun. He also intended it to last all day since he was picking her up at eleven and making sure she was home by sunset so that she could pack and rest before her mission. Looking herself over once more in the mirror when she heard a knock at the door she suddenly became very nervous. Since joining Fairy Tail, she'd been on a date here and there but her team made it impossible to regularly see someone so she had never gotten a second date.

This was Laxus though, and while she had some expectations of him she knew that the man didn't date. Still, the thought of going on a date with Laxus Dreyar left her a little stunned trying to figure out how it all had managed to come about in the first place.

When she opened her door he was standing there wearing a plain white long sleeved button down shirt with dark denim jeans and black designer boots. She looked him down once more for good measure then stepped out of her apartment and locked.

"You look handsome, Sparky."

"And you are possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," he said offering her a hand.

Lucy had chosen to wear the dress Ever had her try on during their shopping date. The blonde had her half of her hair pulled up and back so that it wasn't in her face but let it fall in loose curls down her back. She had paired the dress with her favorite lace up ankle boots with a heel and wore various golden bangles on one wrist. The look was completed with a white sling bag with gold and blue trim.

She took his hand and playfully rolled her eyes, letting him lead her outside. "You're just saying that."

"I mean it, Blondie," he said seriously. Those blue eyes of his darkened slightly and her breath hitched. He really did mean it.

"So, where are we going?"

"Someplace I've been meaning to visit. Just haven't the time or a good excuse to go," he answered and pulled her close to him. She felt small cracks of lightning lick her skin and shivered at the sensation. "Close your eyes, Blondie. Promise I won't let go until you're steady." She nodded and buried her face into his chest.

It happened in an instant. She felt herself flying one moment then she was back on the ground like she hadn't left it. They stood there, Laxus still holding her against him until she was able to stand on her own. After a couple minutes, she looked up at him and smiled.

"That was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced."

He returned her smile and let her step away but held her hand still. "Yeah, what's the coolest then?"

"Visiting the Celestial Spirit Realm. Travelling by your lightning is a close second though so don't feel bad." She looked around to see that he had taken them all the way to Crocus to visit the zoo. She suddenly felt like a kid again. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been to the zoo and started to walk toward the entrance pulling Laxus with her. She wanted to see the aquarium but remembered that he had said he'd been meaning to visit.

She turned around and looked at him still walking backwards. "So, why the zoo, Sparky?"

"There's a new exhibition called 'Magnificent Macaws'. They've trained the zoo's macaws to fly half a mile from one end of the zoo to the other." He pulled ahead and led her to the new pavilion before the next presentation started.

"When you say fly, you mean free flight?"

"Yep. Just the birds in the open sky and their handlers on the ground trusting them to come back down."

Lucy admired the glint in his eyes thinking that she was probably the first person to see him like this; filled with unadulterated happiness. At the pavilion he led her to the front right against the railing and stood behind her with his hands on either of her boxing her in. Her heart warmed at the action.

They stood there then as the next presentation started. They learned a little about the nature of the birds and then watched them take flight. Their brightly colored wings shone in the sunlight as they flew overhead and took to the sky. She decided that her favorite were the green macaws as one had flown by the pair, just inches from Laxus' head letting her catch a smile on his face. Seeing that smile of his made her all the more happy that she'd agreed to spend the day with him.

When it was over she faced him, still between his arms as they waited for the crowd to clear since he had led them to the front. "Why are they your favorite, Sparky?"

"Honestly," he started and ran a hand through his spiked hair, "because I'm a bit jealous of them." Lucy furrowed her brow and tilted head, waiting for him to elaborate. "I guess I miss the freedom to take a job whenever it pleases me. I can't stay at the guild for long periods of time because I hate the feeling of being caged in but I don't have a choice anymore."

"The life of adventure. The life of a mage. The year before I ran away from my father, he kept me at the estate and had someone with me at all times. There was one occasion where he even tried to take my keys from me so I can understand the feeling of being trapped. At least a little bit."

"It's not like I have a problem helping gramps with guild work I just get stir-crazy after being around for too long. Is it wrong to feel that way?" He offered her his arm and took it, leaning into him as the two left the pavilion.

"I don't think it's wrong," she answered softly which comforted something deeper within him. "In fact, I think it's normal. You're used to a certain amount of freedom. Think of this as the transition to being guildmaster because once your grandfather passes that mantle to you, you won't be able to go on adventures anymore. Just be mindful not to overwork yourself before you get there, okay?"

Laxus couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to Lucy sometimes. He was still nervous around her and worried about saying something that would upset her but so far she seemed to be enjoying herself and he was relieved.

"What do you want to see, Blondie?" he asked not wanting to talk about himself anymore. It made him happy that Lucy wanted to know more about him but didn't want to ruin his chances with her by letting her get too close too fast.

Lucy picked up on his sudden change of subject but knew better than to push him. If he wanted more with her he would open up in time but for now, she was happy to spend the day with him. "Let's go to the aquarium."

"And what's so special about the aquarium?"

"Nothing really too specific except that I've always like the water and that's because Aquarius was my first celestial spirit. I used to summon her during bath time when I was little," she laughed at the memory. Laxus didn't miss how her smile looked a little sad then but said nothing about it. "Anyway, the source doesn't matter too much to me, the ocean, rivers, I even like the rain. Prefer them to sunny days even."

Given his magic, Laxus was fond of the rain as well, moreso when a storm was passing through. He watched her with bated breath as she drew his attention to various aquatic life and was amazed at the beauty of it all. He could easily understand how one might find comfort in it. His favorite part were sharks. She teased him by saying that maybe he felt a connection because he was a dragon slayer and a predator, just like the sharks were. He wanted to say something to her but the words just wouldn't come. She had withdrawn into herself even though she still looked happy and Laxus didn't know what to say to bring her back to him.

Lucy ran ahead to pet the stingrays and noticed Laxus lagging behind her. She knew that was being abnormally quiet since they entered the aquarium but she had made herself smile for him. She wasn't unhappy with him at all but the water, while comforting, reminded her of Aquarius and thus her mother. This was supposed to be a happy day but now she was sad at the thought of those that she'd lost and her date was probably hating her right now.

"I'm sorry, Laxus," she whispered so softly that he would have missed it if not for his enhanced hearing. She felt him walk up and stand behind her lacing his finger with her free hand while her other skimmed the surface of the water and her fingers brushed over the passing fish. "Today was supposed to be a happy day and I ruined it."

He shook his head and reached into the water as well, following her lead. "You didn't ruin anything, Lucy. But if you want, I can take you home."

"No!" she whipped around and looked into his eyes. "Let me make it up to you."

"What?! Blondie you don't need to-"

"I want to stay. Take us somewhere and watch the sunset with me?" she pleaded.

Laxus had been prepared to take her home but she wanted to stay with him. In fact she was pleading with him to let her stay. He wished that he knew what caused her to withdraw from him in the first place so he could try and make it better but he didn't know how to ask. So doing what he did best, jumped into action and took her hand leading her outside in silence. Once the two were far enough away from the crowd, he pulled her close and felt her hands clutch into his shirt.

She reveled in that tingling sensation again as he took them away from prying eyes to someplace private she hoped where no one could see her break down. She was trying so hard to not be sad but was quickly failing. Lucy continued to hold onto him until he gently pulled her away and looked into her watery eyes.

"Talk to me?" he asked sitting her down. She finally took in their surroundings and her eyes widened. They were at a lake, where she wasn't sure, but the sun was starting fall below the horizon painting the sky and water an array of reds and violets.

Lucy took a deep breath and leaned into his massive frame. "I was thinking about my mother. Another reason why I like water so much is that Aquarius was my mother's favorite spirit. I miss my mother, some days more than others."

Laxus wished he could share that sentiment with her but it was hard to miss someone when you lost them long before you could even remember them. There were nights when he'd dream and think that he remembered something but come morning it was all to hazy to recount.

"I really did have fun today, Sparky."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He placed a finger under her chin and brought her face to his, their lips just inches apart. "Happy birthday, blondie," he whispered then kissed her cheek.

"Thank you."

The two sat in silence then and watched the sky grow darker. Lucy was still a little sad from thinking about her mother and Aquarius but here in this moment, sitting with him in front of the lake she was filled with so much happiness that it was almost too much. She knew then, however, that so long as it was Laxus, too much would never be enough.


	6. Worries and Comfort

Lucy and Erza found themselves wandering the forests that bordered a small farming village some ways west of Crocus. There had been reports of a rogue mage harassing the villagers and the two had been tasked with tracking him down and apprehending him for the rune knights. They learned from the villagers that the mage had yet to bring harm to anyone but was robbing them of valuable crops. Lucy deduced that mage was able to control the moisture in the air around him as his arrival was signified by an odd mist surrounded the fields according the village.

Erza could have easily handled the job alone but she wanted Lucy to take point so that the requip mage could evaluate how the celestial mage handled herself against an opponent she knew next to nothing about. They left the village first thing in the morning and headed west into the forest as the mist had been seen coming from there from that direction. The two hoped to find that the mage had a camp of some sort not too far into the forest but it was nearing noon and there had been no sign of anyone having stopped for an extended period of time.

"Lucy, I've been speaking to master about the S-Class trials and I wanted to ask you something."

The blonde looked over at her friend who was biting her lower lip. She gulped down a healthy amount of water and then tossed the bottle over to Erza. "What's on your mind, Erza?"

Erza thought carefully before choosing her next words. She really wasn't supposed to be talking about possible nominations but she trusted that Lucy wouldn't say anything. The requip mage only wanted to mention it because she needed to know what Lucy would do if presented with the opportunity.

"I've been trying to show him that you should be nominated this year." Lucy was just tossing a grape into her open mouth but froze mid-toss causing the fruit to hit her forehead. The redhead stifled a laugh and continued to explain herself. "I know it might not seem like it but I've watched and seen how much you've grown in the last year, Lucy. After Natsu left, you pulled away, so naturally I was worried. The entire guild was worried about you but... you made it clear that you didn't need comfort from anyone so most of us let you be.

"I guess that's wrong though. You wanted comfort but as the months started to pass, I saw that what you really needed was room to grow. It was foolish to think that you'd always remain with the team." Erza held up a hand before the blonde could interrupt. "You've said already that you weren't leaving the team but I know that you told yourself to say that for those boys sake and that you actually managed to make yourself believe it to an extent. You enjoy the solo work, Lucy. I see that you do and I don't think that you should be ashamed of that."

If Lucy had wanted to say something earlier, the words had since left her. There she was, sitting with her hands in her lap looking like she'd just been caught with them in the proverbial cookie jar. The blonde knew herself to be quite the open book but Erza had not only seemingly read her mind, the woman knew how she really felt. She knew that everyone had worried about her and that turning away from them had only added to those worries but Erza had been able to see right through all of that. She saw that the celestial mage had trusted her spirits and herself to grow and move forward and they didn't fail her. So Lucy was only left with one question for the requip mage.

"How did you know?" she asked hesitantly.

"What kind of sister would I be if I wasn't able to look out for my family? As I said, I was worried about you but you were able to take care of yourself. Maybe you've always been able to and we, the team, just overshadowed that fact. I never thought any less of you for wanting your independence and I never will. I just want you to remember to come back to us every so often."

"Hearing you say that means a lot to me Erza. I guess I have been a little worried about you guys not wanting me as a friend anymore since I've pulled away so much, so thank you." She looked at her sister and smiled. "I have to admit, about the trials, the thought of being nominated is an intimidating one. Compared the other possible nominees I don't think I could outshine them but I would most definitely give my all," she said confidently.

"Laxus said something very similar to that. It's partially why he believes you should be nominated too."

"What?" Laxus thought that she deserved to be nominated? Lucy was stunned.

"Yep. I was there when he told Master what he saw in that clearing when you found him. He said that you not only showed exemplary magical strength but caution and strategy as well. There were a number of things you could have done to defeat that wyvern yourself but you chose to support an injured guildmate so that they could get their bearings and finish the job."

Lucy shrugged but agreed with Erza because she knew that Laxus' lightning would have been the fastest way to bring the beast to unconsciousness. She was well aware that her magic had grown stronger not only with the addition of her Stardress but Lucy was able to physically handle herself a lot better since Loke and Capricorn had shown her that her legs were where she held her strength so that's where she focused when fighting. She was still an expert with her whip and even exercised precise control, almost never missing her mark when wielding the weapon.

Still, it felt good to hear that not one but two S-Class mages, one of them being the future guildmaster and the one responsible for the trials this year, thought that she was more than ready to try her hand at becoming S-Class. It only made her more excited and she hoped that the master would give her the chance.

She thought about Laxus then and wanted to know what Erza thought of the man since she'd known him much longer than she had. But before asking she stood up and stretched thinking that they had rested long enough. Lucy looked into the direction they had been heading then looked back to where they had come from. There was something odd to her and she turned about then started walking. Erza was impressed that Lucy had picked up on the misdirection spell around them and followed her lead.

"Erza, what do you think of Laxus?"

"In what way, Lucy?" Erza teased.

"As the future guildmaster, not my possible boyfriend," Lucy said seriously.

"I think that he's taking things on in stride. I'm glad to see that he's wised up a bit and is taking the idea of guildmaster seriously. Master is even entrusting the trials this year to his judgement."

Lucy thought about what Laxus had told her on their date and wondered if his team knew how he felt about being guildmaster someday soon. Did his grandfather know?

"What if he's not ready?" she asked without meaning to.

"What do you mean, Lucy?"

Lucy mentally face-palmed and shook her head. "Dammit, I didn't mean to say that out loud. I guess it doesn't matter," she shrugged. "We're mages, Erza. We're young still and crave that life of adventure. The same goes for him. He feels trapped after being at the guild for too long."

"That's why the master still allows him to leave for weeks at a time, Lucy. This is a transition for him."

"That's what I told him but think about it, Erza. When Laxus does take the mantle, what does that mean for him?" Erza didn't understand what Lucy was getting at and tried to think about it. Sure it meant that he officially wouldn't be able to to take missions any longer but she couldn't see anything wrong about him assuming the position when the master was-

"Master..." she whispered suddenly.

"Now you see it. When Laxus becomes Fairy Tail's next guildmaster, it's because his grandfather can no longer do it. He's already qualified to take the position but his grandfather is going to keep that burden from Laxus for as long as possible." Erza was silent, unable to say anything more on the matter.

They walked for only a couple minutes more when they happened upon a road in the forest. Both mages felt whatever had been misleading them originally disperse, revealing what looked to be an abandoned church of some kind but the women knew better. They hadn't been tracking just a lone mage. Erza quickly pulled Lucy and herself off the road and the two ran a fair distance before they could be spotted by anyone. The requip mage contacted the guild and rune knights to inform them of what they'd discovered. The master instructed the two women to wait for backup to arrive so the women prepared to scout the area while they waited.

That same night Laxus was finishing up some paperwork when his best friend walked into his office and sat on the couch. The seith waited silently for him to finish and noticed that he wasn't completely paying attention to the open file in front of him.

"Close it up, man. Come back to it in the morning." The blonde looked up at Bickslow and sighed, letting his head fall onto his desk. "How was your date?"

"It was the most fun I've had with anyone in a long time, Bix. I really didn't think that she'd want to spend her birthday with me," he admitted.

"Bet you're glad that you asked."

"I am," he said looking away from the man. "But I also feel like I intruded."

"What happened?

Laxus explained to him that when they had visited the aquarium, Lucy had withdrawn from him. She told him that she liked the water because of her spirit, Aquarius, and Bickslow wondered if she had told him about losing said spirit but remained silent as the man continued. Turned out that Lucy hadn't said anything more about the spirit aside from her being her first one and her mother's favorite. The girl had just missed her mother that day and Laxus, being his usual self, hadn't a clue what to say to cheer her up. He was proud though that his friend had allowed Lucy to stay with him longer and made sure that their day together ended on a positive note.

"At least the day ended well enough," Bix shrugged

"I can't tell you how scared I was when she got quiet. I thought I had done something to upset her."

"Cosplayer's not like that. If you piss her off, she'll make sure the world knows it was you." Bickslow watched Laxus sighed and then smile. "That her making you smile like that?"

"Yeah, Bix."

"Good," Bickslow said and nodded.

"Is it?"

Bickslow's eyes hardened and he sighed. "Come on man, cut that shit out. Just let yourself be happy."

"You think I don't try?!" he shouted. Laxus ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Bix." Bickslow said nothing and just waited for the blonde to calm his nerves. "I told her how I missed being able to come and go from this place whenever I wanted. How it scared me to be tied down before I felt I was ready."

"And?"

"I'm scared to let her in. I don't like who I am most days so there's no way that she will."

"Laxus, I'm only ever gonna say this once so fucking listen okay?" Laxus looked at the seith and nodded. "The girl has baggage. More than just a shitty and lonely childhood. She's got some dark stuff that she keeps hidden away."

"What the fuck, Bix? You looked?" Laxus bit his tongue and waited for an explanation.

"Yeah, I looked. That night in Clover Town when she was taking care of you. Her soul drew me in and I asked her a personal question, not expecting her to answer but she did. We talked for awhile and I came to understand some things about her. Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is not to push her away because she's just as scared to let you in, Laxus. Trust me."

A part of Laxus knew that his friend was right. That Lucy was someone who had pain of her own but always worked through it and then helped others through their pain. It was in her nature to nurture. Even when she was hurting she would care about others because that's what her instincts demanded of her.

Instinct. He had to force himself to stop thinking because his thoughts always clouded his instincts. He had been trying to do that more, block out the world so that nothing could skew his judgement. It was something that Bickslow had sat him down to do one day. It had been annoying as fuck to sit still for so long but when he had emptied all thoughts from himself he was able to experience total clarity. That was the day he and his grandfather came to the agreement that allowed him to take longer missions in exchange for staying home for several weeks upon returning to manage the guild.

Right now though, in a moment of clarity his instincts told him to protect Lucy. He was still unsure what that meant but he remembered hearing that same word run through his mind the day he woke up in the hospital when Tartaros was defeated. Before that mess had really began, he had failed to do that for his team and that town. That was his new motivation to be guild master. He needed to protect his family. And he would, no matter how much his mind hated the idea of being tied down right now, he would not fight instinct. Even if he couldn't understand it.

Two days had passed since Erza had reported to the guild and she and Lucy spent the time waiting and scouting the area. The were able to confirm that this was a dark guild and that there fifteen individuals present, give or take. It was a long two days but they stayed out of sight and tried to think of a tentative plan of how to approach. They wouldn't know for sure what they'd be able to do until whoever the master was sending their way arrived.

It was almost noon on the third day when the two women heard a single pair of footsteps nearing their camp. They were quiet as the sound grew closer and prepared for a fight until they noticed a familiar chill to the air around them.

"Gray?" Erza called to him as he stepped into the camp, devoid of his shirt.

"Yo, Erza. Lucy," he nodded at both women. "I was passing through the capital when master called me and said that you two needed some help."

Lucy stepped up to the man with a smile. Gray was a bit ashamed of himself as he had yet to apologize to the celestial mage for the way he acted almost two weeks prior. "I for one am glad that you're our back up, Gray."

"You have a plan?" Erza asked.

"Sure do. Let's pack up and get moving."

With Gray's assistance, it took no time to cleanup camp and then head to the shrouded guild. When the decrepit building was in sight Lucy told her teammates her plan. Lucy and Virgo would enter the guild first though the basement while Erza and Gray would go in through the front only after Gray had sealed off the back door and windows, preventing any form of escape. Lucy would wait until she heard the fight happening on the first floor before making her move.

The previous day, she had sent Virgo to see whether or not a basement existed and was pleased to learn that it was there. The spirit also informed the celestial mage that the room looked to be a sort of ritual site and Lucy wanted learn what she could before the rune knights arrived and confiscated everything. Gray and Erza thought her plan was a sound one and also agreed that getting any information possible could be fruitful in tracking the movements of other dark guilds since all three pillars of the Ballam Alliance were shattered.

Once Lucy was inside she waited for the tell-tale sign that her teammates were doing their parts. She had equipped Virgo's stardress and was crouched into a darkened corner with said spirit at her side. She looked around the room and saw that it was a library, though the shelves were mostly bare and falling apart with age. Her eyes were drawn to an old tome on a podium in the center of the room and on the floor, before the book, were the etchings of what looked like a magic circle though it was only partially complete. Clearly there were darker happenings in this place and Lucy wanted to know more about that book.

When she heard shouting above her, Lucy made her way toward the center but quickly ducked back into the shadows when two men rushed down the stairs.

"Quickly, burn the book. I've memorized everything we need for the ritual," one of them ordered.

"Jace, are you sure?" the second one asked.

"I am." Jace remained on the stairs while his guildmate moved to the center of the room. When the man reached out to set the book aflame, the floor fell from under him. Lucy, using Virgo's magic, dug her way to the top of the stairs and appeared behind an unassuming Jace. He turned around too late to defend himself from her kick and he fell down the stairs.

He staggered to his feet and released his magic to surround Lucy in what looked a thick mist that quickly closed in around her. It caused her body to grow heavy even though she felt no moisture on her skin when it hit her, he was a mind sculptor and was chaining her nerves to make her feel exhausted.

"Nalar, get up and bind her! She's a celestial mage," Jace shouted.

Under the immense pressure Lucy managed to reach her keys and only needed to brush her fingers over Cancer's key to get what she needed. "Stardress Cancer!" she chanted and sliced through the invisible bindings before charging at the mage. Jace quickly blocked her twin blades and began his own assault on the celestial mage. Virgo made sure that the fire mage was tightly restrained and moved to assist her keyholder. The spirit dug so that the floor fell from beneath her feet and kept her from taking a direct hit from the mage.

"How typical, the loyal spirit there to save her master," Jace cackled.

Lucy wiped at the cut on her face and jumped from the hole once again charging at the man but this time she aimed for the nerve endings in his shoulders and knees. Taking a hit to her arm, she hit her marks the man was left incapacitated.

"Virgo, help Erza and Gray restrain everyone upstairs." The maid bowed and left without a word.

Lucy glared at the man and closed off her magic to her stardress, transferring it into her whip. A light flick of her wrist and the tip licked Jace's face, a tiny cut forming on the reddened skin. His own icy glare followed Lucy as she stalked over to the book still sitting on the podium. He tried to use his magic but the nerves in shoulders and knees were on fire and he was unable to concentrate.

Lucy picked up the book and frowned. It was written in a language she could not understand but what she could understand were the star signs that represented the twelve zodiac. She held the book close and whipped the kneeling mage again. "What's in this book?" she demanded.

"As if I'd tell you, bitch," he spat. "You might as well kill me."

"Funny you'd say that, Jace, was it? See, I'm going to hide this from the rune knights and tell them what I heard you say to your friend. They're going to think that you disposed of the book long before we got here and torture you until you tell them what they want to know."

His face blanched. He tried begging for mercy but Lucy delivered a hard kick to his head, knocking him unconscious. She didn't need him to tell her the contents. Lucy would talk to Freed or Levy for help translating the book.

After the rune knights had taken away the mages Lucy showed Gray and Erza the book and explained what she'd seen in the basement. That the mage called Jace had memorized the contents of the book, which at least mentioned the twelve zodiacs though she couldn't understand anything else. She was able to learn that they were planning a ritual of some sort and that they needed a celestial mage to complete it. The three mages agreed that the book needed to be taken to the guild and shown to Levy or Freed immediately. Erza and Gray also recommended that Lucy take a partner on jobs until they knew for sure that there weren't others who might come for her to finish what was started.

Erza instructed Gray to accompany Lucy home, saying that she has some personal business to take care of first. Lucy and Gray shared a knowing look and told Erza to try and enjoy her one night with Jellal causing the woman to blush the same shade of her hair. The two laughed at her as she turned south while they continued west, heading back to the village for the night. Just before Erza was out of earshot, Lucy asked her friend to give Cobra her regards and the two heard promises of punishment when she returned to the guild.

The following morning Lucy was up before the sun and began her daily meditations having missed the last several days due to the nature of her mission. Capricorn commended her use of Cancer's stardress to cut through the mind sculptor's chains and then incapacitate her opponent. While holding her magic outside of herself, the spirit noticed something amiss about the young lady; she was only partially focusing on her meditations. Lucy didn't say anything to the spirit but didn't deny the accusation either. There was a lot on her mind; wanting to know what's in the book, traveling back to Magnolia in Gray's company, missing Laxus, hating that yet again she could be a possible target for some world shattering plot.

When Lucy finished her morning routine, Gray heard her apologize to Capricorn for being so distracted, stating that she was just tired from the mission. The man still felt a little uncomfortable being around the celestial mage but knew that he had to see her back to the guild safely. He felt that he'd been shut out by his would be sister and knew that he didn't deserve to ask for forgiveness. However, she did deserve an apology.

They traveled to the capital in silence mostly. Lucy asked how he'd been and mentions that he's missed at the guild. He says that he traveled north to visit his parents grave so he could clear his head. His admission reminded Lucy that she should do the same since she didn't visit them on her birthday. When asked why she didn't she tells him that she spent it with Laxus. That he had taken her on a date that day and even if he hadn't she still wouldn't have been able to visit because she left the next day with Erza.

That whole time Gray made no move to apologize to Lucy until they were making themselves comfortable on the train. They'd opted for taking the last one instead of spending money on a hotel for a single night.

Lucy had just opened her journal and was about to start writing when Gray cleared his throat. With her face still looking down at the notebook in her lap, she moved her eyes to meet his and waited, slightly irked.

"Lucy, I need to apologize for how I acted that night a couple weeks back," he said after a silent minute. "And for taking so long to do so."

Lucy closed the leather bound journal and returned it to her pack so that Gray could have her undivided attention which only made him more nervous. She studied him for a moment. How his eyes would meet hers and then he would quickly avert them. Lucy thought it was funny that every male in her guild looked like a small child whenever they apologized to her. Didn't matter the reason. To her, they all wore the same sad expression like they had disappointed their beloved mother. And Gray most certainly felt like a child after sitting under Lucy's gaze.

"Apology accepted," she said finally. "However, there is one thing I want to ask you, Gray, if you don't mind."

"Anything, Lucy," he blurted, desperate to get back into her good graces.

"What caused your outburst? Why did you have to react that way?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I can't lose anymore of my family, Lucy."

"But I'm not going anywhere. I never was. You know me, Gray, or at least you should. I always come back to my family."

"That night, when you asked me why I had never said anything before and I told you that I was going through some things..."

"Yeah?" she prompted him to continue.

"I lost my father again." he said, offering no explanation. Lucy knew that Gray had lost both his parents when his hometown was destroyed by one Zeref's demons so when he said again, she was lost.

"Gray, I don't understand. Help me understand what happened with you," she whispered and moved to sit beside him.

"The Devil Slayer of Tartaros, Silver. That man was my father. He died when I was a kid but that necromancer found him and animated his body and soul. Trapped him so that they could use him and I had to watch him die a second time."

He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He'd only allowed himself to cry once, when Juvia had told him that it was she who ended the necromancer's existence and thus his father's. True to her nature, Lucy shared Gray's pain and tried to ease his while her she broke her own heart with the words she offered her him.

"It isn't fair, is it? Watching our parents leave us," she sobbed. " I still remember watching my mother in her final moments. You'd expect them to look sad-"

"But they don't! He smiled when he said goodbye."

"And that hurts us because we don't understand what's behind that smile. Not at first anyhow."

Lucy was smiling softly now and removed Gray's hands from his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm willing to bet that your father was smiling because he was able to see what a fine man his son had become and he was proud. Listen to me, Gray. Try to be thankful that both you and he were able to get a bit of closure before you were forced apart again."

"It hurts so much some days."

"That pain never really goes away, Gray. It just sort of fades to the backs of our hearts and minds when we accept it and continue to live our lives. Until something reminds us of it and it hurts all over again. But we're never truly able to forget that pain because it always comes back."

Lucy moved back to her side of their compartment and leaned her head against the window to watch the shadowy expanse of the countryside pass them by. She'd been think a lot about her parents lately and decided that she really did need to visit them and think. Talking to her mother always comforted her and eased her worries.


	7. Here and Now

Natsu had waited nearly a week for Lucy to get back from her mission so when the scent of strawberries wafted through the breeze, he was excited. He wanted to ask her if she wanted to take a job with just him. No team, no Happy. Just the two of them so that he could talk with her. He already knew that her answer would be no since she had only just gotten back home but was sure that if the idea was in her head, then she'd invite him along on the next job she took.

When she walked through the doors, smiling, he frowned. Her cheek was cut, a scab already forming, and her arm was wrapped. The second cause of his frown was that she smelled a lot like Gray meaning they'd been together for day. Had he run into the girls and helped with their mission? How the fuck was that fair since he'd been forced to stay home, still unwilling to face Erza's wrath for disobeying. She smiled at him and sat at their table, Gray sliding in beside her.

"Luce! How come Gray got to help you with your mission but I had to stay home?" he asked immediately.

Lucy ignored him for a moment, rolling her eyes then flagging down Mira for a milkshake. "Don't be sour, Natsu. Erza and I made an unsettling discovery so the master sent us some backup. Gray happened to be the closest so he's who came," she offered.

He should have been glad that she was only minorly injured, though the cut across her cheek might scar since Wendy was away with Gajeel and Levy. Even still he just crossed his arms and huffed. "I could have helped," he pouted, like the child he very much still was.

Lucy rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "That was Erza's call, not mine. You got a problem with who she allows on her missions, tell her."

Natsu shrank back and Gray laughed at him. He looked tired and if how red his eyes were didn't tell you that he had been cry, the smell of salt definitely did. Natsu assumed that things between the two had been talked about and settle as Lucy wouldn't have been smiling with him when they walked in. They chatted for a little bit until Gray started to drift and decided to call it an early day as he had slept very little on the trip home.

Lucy was tired too but wanted to at least pop in and see Laxus for just a moment and maybe invite him over for dinner later. When she stood up, Natsu reached over and grabbed her hand gently.

"Hey, Luce?"

She cocked her head. "Yeah?"

"I was-"

"Luuuu!" a wasted Cana drawled and threw an arm over Lucy's shoulder. "Come on, Lu. you have to come and tell us everything about your date with Laxus."

Lucy looked over to the bar and saw that just about every woman in the guild was waiting for her with Cheshire cat grins on each face. Looking back at Natsu she was waved off by the boy but caught a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise. Dinner this week and we'll go on a mission soon."

He nodded and she let herself be dragged away to the waiting women. It was a promise. He'd finally get some time with her without interruptions. Curious as he was to know how Lucy's date had gone, he couldn't listen. It hurt a little to see that she was interested in someone else but he didn't feel defeated. Not in the slightest. In fact, it only made Natsu that much more determined to win over his best friend and show her that he cared for her more than anyone else would ever be able to.

At least, he hoped that's what she would see. Her smile was getting brighter each day and it wasn't because of him or her other teammates. It was Laxus and his team. She'd taken to helping the guildmaster to be a lot and from what he could see, she enjoyed the work and the company. Unable to listen to her describe the sensation of lightning licking her skin, Natsu got up and left.

Lucy watched him go with his shoulders slumped and wondered what was troubling him. She knew she should care a bit more and part of her did want to run after him but she fought the feeling. She looked up and saw Laxus looking down at her so she left the women, ignoring their protests, and went to the second floor. If something was troubling Natsu and he wanted to talk, then she would listen. Right now though, she would go against her nature to help someone and spend time with the man who made her happy.

* * *

That evening at Laxus' house, Lucy was in the kitchen with Freed cutting up various vegetables for lamb kebabs. Lucy had to admit that the rune mage had a certain charm about him when he wasn't wearing his jacket and had his sleeves rolled up. His hair was pulled completely up and he had a serene smile on his face as he worked and watched his team in the other room.

The other three members were sitting in the dining room playing a game of Splendor. Lucy had never played nor seen it played before so watching Ever, Bix, and Laxus sit around the cards in silence was a little odd to her. Freed explained that the point of the game to collect gems of your choosing and then use those gems to accumulate a total of fifteen points. By watching Lucy was able to gather that it required a strategic mind and a hint of luck to win. You had to know what color gems you wanted to collect the most of because collecting a few of each would only cost you the game.

Turning to Freed, who was now cutting the lamb off of the bone and into smaller pieces, she asked, "So who usually wins?"

The mage tilted his head in her direction and grinned but kept his eyes on his task. "Normally Bickslow or myself."

"It looks interesting," she said with a shrug, "and boring."

"You'll have to play some time. You'll love it."

Freed turned on the gas stove to heat a cast iron grill top and the two started to assemble everything on wooden skewers they had soaked before starting. Lucy was curious about where Freed had learned his way around a kitchen since he too was raised in high society, though maybe he had simply learned after having been gone for so long. Then she thought of how expertly he held a knife and how precise he'd been.

"Freed, where did you learn to work a knife so well?"

Freed eyed her and picked up a cut bell pepper, stabbing it and sliding it down before repeating the process with an onion. "I imagine the same place that you did, Lucy, the kitchen staff on my father's estate," he said grinning.

Lucy shook her head at that. "I must admit, you always struck me as the type to never miss a meal. A proper noble son." The rune mage laughed at her assumption and started cooking the kebabs, while Lucy moved to cut up vegetables for a quinoa salad.

"I was a well-behaved and studious child, sure, but I always seemed to get lost in my studies that I often missed mealtimes," he admitted, "It didn't take long for one of the chefs to get tired of the messes I made." Lucy realized that was so like Freed and didn't even bother to hide her laughter. The rune mage stared at her and his team paused in their game to look at him. He just shrugged and they resumed playing.

"I'm sorry," she said between breaths and wiped away the stray tears that had formed. Freed waited for the woman to get over her hysterics and turned back to the food. "I'm sorry Freed, I guess I should have expected that."

"I'm glad you find it humorous as my parents were none too pleased to find me hidden behind the stacks." He leaned down and she took his lead and tilted an ear in his direction. "Between you and I, they still aren't," he whispered causing her laughter return. "On the rare occasion that I do visit home, I lock myself in the library."

"You do not..." she said incredulously, tossing the fresh vegetables with the quinoa..

"It's nice to see my family every so often but I'm never able to stay for very long as I'm reminded of why I left that life." Freed looked at her then and wondered how different life had to have been for her despite having similar stations. She was an only child and a daughter to boot while he had been a second born son. "If I may, Lucy, what was your childhood like?"

"Mine?" She had to think for a moment when he simply nodded at her. "Before my mother passed, I spent a lot of time with her in the library. After though... my father started to work there and I was barred from entering unless my father was away on business."

"I'm sorry for you loss, Lucy. I can't imagine what that must feel like," he said honestly, feeling ashamed of himself for asking such a question without properly thinking. He turned off the stovetop and removed the kebabs from the heat to let them rest.

Laxus had heard the two mages in the kitchen get quiet and honed in on their conversation to make sure everything was alright. Hearing the last words of Freed's apology, the lightning slayer looked past the breakfast bar at them. Lucy just looked at him and smiled.

"What are your parents like?" she asked softly looking back to Freed. Lucy needed the distraction. Listening and learning about the families of others never bothered her. In fact, concerning Freed, she was happy to know that even after leaving that life of luxury he still kept in contact with them. It comforted her, knowing that he understood what he still had where many in Fairy Tail were without.

"My father is a strict and serious man. He took charge of how his sons would be raised whereas it should have been my mother's responsibility. However, she is a timid woman and spent most of her time doting on my younger brother after he was born." Lucy knew the Justine name well enough as they were a noble family that came from old money.

She remembered once that her father had wanted to her to meet the eldest Justine son but had been turned away. She didn't know what exactly had been said between the men but knew that it had something to do with her magic as her her father had attempted to steal away her keys. A thought struck her, Lucy had inherited her mother's magic while none of Freed's family had any. She was also willing to bet that by looking into the Justine bloodline, she wouldn't find a single mage.

"You're the only mage?" she asked without thinking.

"Self-taught, in fact. There was a section of the library that was always kept under lock and key, and for good reason I might add. I was too curious for my own good and broke in, needing to read and learn what was in those books." He explained that by studying multiple languages and breaking them down to linguistic structures that he was able to learn how to better manipulate runes and make it harder for someone else to break them.

Lucy remembered the book she'd taken from the mages. "Oh! Pardon me changing the subject, but I just remembered that I found a tome of some kind during my last mission. I probably shouldn't have swiped it but it mentions something about the celestial zodiacs. Other than recognizing the star signs, I can't understand what's written. Would you mind taking a look at it?"

"It would be my pleasure. I've never had the chance to read much on celestial magic and would love the chance to learn more about it." There was a glimmer in his eyes that made Lucy beam.

"I'll have to have you over one afternoon then. When my father lost the estate, I was allowed to visit and collect some things. I took all of my mother's books on celestial magic. You're more than welcome to take a look at them."

At the table, while Lucy and Freed continue to compare life on their respective estates, Evergreen and Bickslow join in and ask their own questions. Ever asked if the two had ever met at a social gathering and the the two just shrugged at each other. Freed offered that it was entirely possible that they'd attended the same party before but they had never formally been introduced though he had met Lucy's father on one occasion. That was a surprise to Lucy and she had to know exactly which party that happened.

Lucy remembered that night as it had been one in which she and her father had left early because of a heated conversation with Mr. Justine. She told them that the extent to which she knew the Justine family was that her father had attempted to get something set up between her and Freed's older brother. Freed choked at her admission and they all laughed. He was thankful that as the second born, he wasn't paraded about as much and Lucy was envious.

When the five were done eating, Laxus and Ever started cleaning. Handing a clean dish to Ever to be dried, he listened to everything going on around him. Freed and Lucy were taking a look at the book she'd found and had summoned one of her spirits for help. It all seemed so domestic to him and years ago, he would have hated the feeling. He couldn't help but wonder, was it her doing this to him or was he just finally growing up a little.

Evergreen looked up at her friend when he handed her another plate. All through dinner and well into cleanup, the man had been silent. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him, in fact he looked happy. She had noticed during their game earlier, that Laxus had surprisingly won, how he would look into the kitchen every so often. Ever didn't know if he was listening to whatever she and Freed were talking about or if he was just looking at her. Either way, she was happy for him. Lucy seemed like the perfect addition to their already odd family.

The dishes were done and Laxus moved to put away things that Ever hadn't been able to reach while she put the kettle on for some tea. When he was done, he walked to the other side of the kitchen and looked past the breakfast bar to watch everyone else.

"What's on your mind, Laxus?" Ever asked as she prepared the tea set that was rarely used. Neither were quite sure why she pulled it down but also didn't question it.

"Her," he said honestly. There was no point in hiding it and was not ashamed to admit that. "You know, I'm really glad that you guys like her."

Ever rolled her eyes and poured some cream into it's proper dish. "You're an idiot, of course we like her." she turned on him and watched him shrink into himself a little. He made a point though.

It had always been rare for them to approve of anyone so highly for him because a) both parties were only in it for the sex and b) every woman who had shown interest in Laxus beyond sex were in it for his status as a mage. The man's finances weren't on par with the members of high society, but he was more than just well off since he normally only took the high paying S-Class jobs.

The screeching kettle brought Ever out of her small trance and she moved back to the stove to remove it. She poured the hot water into the teapot and then set the hot kettle on the back burner to cool.

"I like her because she made me reminded me what it felt like to be accepted," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

Laxus looked at the woman like she'd grown two heads. "The hell's that supposed to mean?!" he asked with a raised brow.

"Come off it, Laxus, you know that's not what I meant," she scoffed, "I know that you guys love me but the day I went shopping with Lucy, I felt like I was joining the team all over again and I feel that way with her all the time." Laxus looked into Ever's eyes and saw that same glint the day he reached out to her. Lucy really did unbelieveable things to people.

"She's incredible, isn't she?" he chuckled.

"Yep!" Ever chirped, "I've got some much needed female company."

"Blondie's intellect rivals Freed's."

"So does her demeanor." she said raising a brow at Laxus. When he just stood there and cocked his head her, Ever nodded toward Lucy and he turned to look at her. "Look at how she's holding herself. Freed always sits properly, as he calls it, and so does Lucy. Everything about her screams high society."

"Besides the way she dresses," he scoffed.

"True," Ever giggled, "But not the point I was trying to make. If you look at Freed, what do you see?"

Laxus looked at the rune mage and watched him run a finger under a line of text. The green haired man sat back and bit his lip while he thought. He was enjoying himself. Completely comfortable around Lucy and how she held herself. Laxus had always thought Freed to be a little odd in regards to always speaking and holding himself so rigid all the time but sitting beside Lucy, he looked right at home and Laxus was happy for his friend. He had always worried for the rune mage but seeing that the man had found a friend in Lucy put his mind at ease.

"I guess if she sticks around I won't have to worry about him trying so hard to be comfortable around everyone," he shrugged.

"I was thinking the same thing," Ever said caringly. "Now you'll have to help me understand Lucy and Bix someday because if I didn't know any better I'd say the two were brother and sister." Ever removed the teabags from the kettle and placed everything onto the tray before lifting it and walking back into the dining room.

Laxus watched the four mages and whispered to himself, "You're not far off the mark, Ever." He remembered what the mage told several night ago about the celestial mage's soul. Laxus didn't need to see it to know that she did indeed reach out to everything around her. Even when Lucy was an oddity, she always managed to make herself fit in.

And she fit so well into his life. Watching her sitting with his team looked so natural, like she had always been there. There was a satisfied purr within him and he welcomed the thought of being able to have her. Lucy looked at him and smiled, waving him over. He was still worried about not being enough for her but in that moment his instincts won and he was happy to spend the rest of the evening with his team and the girl of his dreams.

* * *

"He worries, you know?" Bickslow asked as he watched Lucy jump onto the ledge on the canal. He offered her a hand to help her balance and she took it with a smile.

"Laxus does? About what?" she asked playfully, almost paying the man's slightly serious tone no mind.

Lucy was on top of the world at the moment and really didn't want to have her night end in worry. She had spent the evening with her boyfriend, as the two were forced by Evergreen to officially define their relationship, and his team. She learned a bit more about each of them and was surprised when they all watch Freed work on translating her book.

"He's got some crazy idea in his head that he doesn't deserve you." Lucy just looked at the seith mage and blinked. That was the last thing she wanted to hear about the man she was starting to care for. Bickslow saw the turmoil in her eyes and continued before she started to assume the wrong things. "It's far more complicated than you know, Lucy."

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"He told me about what happened on your date," he said plainly. Lucy blushed and cast her eyes down. She still felt embarrassed about what happened at the aquarium and didn't expect Laxus to talk about the date at all.

"I see. He told you everything?" she asked for clarification.

"Not everything that was said, Cosplayer," he said shaking his head, " But enough to know that what happened was serious."

"I really was having fun with him," she admitted. "I was happy that I got to see a part of him that no one else really does. He looked so at ease and I wanted never to have to see that leave his face."

Bickslow only nodded at her observation. It was true. It was rare for even the Thunder Legion to see Laxus be completely at ease though none of them ever faulted him for being tense. The man had a history of self-doubt, no thanks to his father, and living in his grandfather's shadow that he was always questioning his own value but that was just the surface. None of them knew quite what lie beneath but there was something more that Laxus kept hidden and it only plagued the man. Bickslow sincerely hoped that Lucy might be able to get through to him and show him that whatever it was wouldn't keep him from being happy. However, he didn't want to see the celestial mage get hurt because of it. That was just unfair to her.

The two came Lucy's apartment building and stopped. "He really does like you, Cosplayer. Has for some time."

"Ever told me the same thing!" she said brightly.

"Well it's true," he confirmed. "Can you promise me one thing though?"

Lucy paid attention to how serious his tone was now. It wasn't often that Bickslow acted to down to earth but whenever it concerned the well-being of his little family, he was almost a different man. And here he was standing in front of Lucy, asking her to make him a promise knowing full well what that meant for the celestial mage.

"What is it, Bix?" she asked with bated breath. As much as she had come to care for the seith mage, she would never make a promise until she knew all the details.

"Promise me that you let yourself get hurt on his behalf." Lucy just looked at him, not understanding what he meant or why we would say it.

"Sorry, Bix," she shook her head, "I don't understand so unless you explain what you mean, I can't promise you that because I don't know if I'll be able to keep it."

Once again, Lucy had him stunned. She had heard his plea and wanted to promise him, but the nature of her magic refused to let her. This woman, who would do almost anything for someone at her own expense, couldn't make him a promise without knowing exactly what he meant.

"Look, I care about the two of you and really don't want to see either of you hurt. Just be careful and don't cater to him at your own expense," he said finally.

Lucy saw it then. In Bickslow's eyes, she was that he more about each of them than they knew about each other. She wanted to promise him but couldn't in good conscience because in time, if she loved his best friend enough, she would without hesitation allow herself to be hurt just to see Laxus happy.

"Sorry," she said and wrapped her arms around him. He followed suit. "I'm never going to make you choose sides, Bickslow, but I can't promise you what you're asking because I know me. That's probably why you asked me that... Anyway, to put this simply, I don't know where Laxus and I will stand with each other in the future. For now, I really just want to be happy with someone and that happens to be Laxus. Sure our first date may have been a little rocky but it was the best date I've ever been on and one of the best birthday's to date." She pulled away and looked back into his eyes. "So for now, I'm going to let myself be happy and try to make him happy at the same time."

It a wonder how Lucy always knew what to say to put someone's mind at ease. Bickslow just chuckled and pulled Lucy back against him. He cared about the girl but knew that no matter what happened, in the end, Lucy would be alright. She knew better than to think too far into the future and worry about the complicated things because they would only overshadow what was important. The here and now.

"Sometimes I wonder why I worry about you," he whispered and stepped back from her.

"Because I don't ever worry about myself," she smiled then turned to walk inside. "Thank you, Bickslow."

"Night Cosplayer."

Lucy walked inside and Bickslow continued to his place. While they were outside Lucy's building they'd failed to notice the figure standing across the canal watching them. Natsu had decided that he couldn't wait to talk to Lucy and invited himself over only to find that she wasn't yet home. Not wanting to possibly upset Lucy for sneaking into her place once again, he quietly slipped back out and only made it across the canal when he heard her and Bickslow walking down the street. He slid into an alley and listened to the words exchanged.

By the time Lucy finally went inside and Bickslow left, there was a wildfire within Natsu as he tried to make sense of what was happening with Lucy. She'd been spending almost all of her time with Laxus and his team. When she first told him that she was going on a date with the man, he was a little bothered to find out that she liked him but the day before her birthday she informed him and Erza that she would be out with Laxus all day so they had celebrated with her that evening. Natsu was saddened because he had wanted to do something special for her since he'd missed her last birthday. He was losing his best friend and that simple truth stirred something very violent inside of him.

For his own sanity he needed to see Lucy but she always wanted to be elsewhere nowadays and Natsu felt more alone than ever. He sorely wish that he could go back and do it all over again. Make the choice to stay with her and make her happy. Make her pain go away. But he couldn't and was forced to move forward and live with the consequences of his choice.


	8. Discoveries

"Finally!" Freed exclaimed, causing Evergreen to look at him still scribbling away at his notes. "I believe I've broken the code to translate this text. Translating it should take no time at all now!"

"Lucy will be so happy to hear that, Freed. What does it say so far?" Ever teased and leaned over to look even though she couldn't understand the foreign language. He hated when she did that.

"Patience Evergreen," he chided as he ran a finger beneath a line of text then looked back over at his notes. "I'm working on this first part. Has Lucy returned yet?"

Evergreen looked at the underside of her wrist where the face of her watch sat. "Levy's train should have arrived about ten minutes ago so they should be back here soon. They might have stopped by Fairy hills to drop of Levy's pack. I hope they hurry because you don't have much time to explain everything," she reminded him.

Freed looked over at the woman's watch and saw that it was already 7:30 pm. He could only stay another hour before needing to go home and make sure that he had everything he needed in his pack before heading to the station to take the last train out of Magnolia for the night. His team and Laxus had been home for just over a month and the lightning mage wasted no time in choosing a mission and telling them only a day before they were leaving.

"Not a problem. I wrote my notes longhand so the two of them won't get confused and can just pick up where I've left off," he said and finished the sentence he was working on. "How interesting-"

"Lucy! Come quick you two!" Evergreen shouted and waved at Lucy and Levy as they walked through the guild doors. The two girls exchanged looks and then rushed up the stairs to the second floor where Ever and Freed were seated.

"Have you learned anything?!" the blonde asked running ahead of Levy.

Freed nodded at her. "A little," he said then turned his attention to Levy. "After spending the last several days cross referencing some things from my personal collection and the guild's I was able to finally break the code in which this book was written."

"That's excellent, Freed. Translating the rest should be a cinch," Levy cheered. "Were you able to read it yet or have you just broken the code?"

Looking to his unorganized stack of notes the rune mage pulled a page off the top then looked back to the book. "I've translated the introduction rr what I'd like to call an introduction. It seems more like a story of some sort," he admitted.

"What about?" Lucy asked.

"Well it looks to be about Andromeda and how the celestial gate keys came to exist in our world," he told her while looking between the paper in his hand and the book.

"Andromeda? That's one of the eighty-eight constellations. Are you certain of the name, Freed?"

Freed looked at Lucy then back to the book. He was certain he hadn't mistranslated anything but her face had him second-guessing himself. Skimming through the passage another time, he shook his head. "I'm certain of the name, Lucy. It's Andromeda."

The celestial mage crossed her arms and downcast her eyes. "I wonder," she started then shook her head. "Do you have time to read any of it to us?"

"Give me just a moment, Lucy," he said as each woman took a seat and prepared to listen to the rune mage read what he'd managed to translate thus far.

_They called her the Chained Lady, Andromeda. She was a creature of inner and outer beauty who had been dealt a bad hand in life. She was born on an autumn night under the bright stars and her mother, a frail woman, lived only long enough to name her silent little girl. The midwife carried the baby girl away to clean her even though there were no signs of life while her father mourned the loss of his wife._

_The man pulled his wife's limp body into his arms and looked out the open window to the twinkling stars above and begged for a miracle. The midwife, with tearstained cheeks, carried the infant to her parents and placed her against her mother's chest wrapping her arms around the child. Her father then held them both close and started to rock to and fro._

_The minutes passed and there was no miracle but as the midwife gathered the bloodied cloth and bedding the two heartbroken adults heard a quiet coo. It grew in volume and then, there was a cry. The midwife rushed to the now crying baby and removed her from her mother's hands then swaddled her tightly._

_Andromeda grew up blind and often sick, but she was always happy and her love knew no bounds. Unable to play outside with the other children, she grew to be lonely at times as a young girl, though she never let her father know about it. The man worked hard to provide and care for his daughter even though the entire village thought of her as such. After the night of her birth, several village women would come over each day to make sure the the little girl and her father had everything they needed. Weeks turned into months, then into years as she grew._

_Eventually, Andromeda came to return the village's kindness that had been bestowed upon her and her father by spending time with the elders of the village when they were forced to become bedridden. She learned a great deal about the world and enjoyed listening to the stories of their youths._

_Every night, Andromeda would recount the stories she heard to her father as they watched the stars. She couldn't see them but he always described the night sky for her. She had come to love the constellations as much as her father did, if not more, when she learned of the events that surrounded her birth and every night would silently thank them, completely unaware that the stars heard her._

_Her life took a turn for the worse when her father fell ill during the winter of her sixteenth year. His age was beginning to catch up to him and manual labor was becoming too much for his body but he had continued to push himself for his daughter's the first snowstorm of the season hit and he was barely able to get himself up out of bed. He tried to hide it from Andromeda since she was not able to see him so that she would not worry about him. Several days passed and he hoped that whatever was ailing him would pass, but it only got worse. On the fifth day, he collapsed when sitting by the fire with his daughter._

_The doctors came and treated him as best they could but had no good news to give the girl. What started out as a cold, had progressed to pneumonia when he decided to ignore it instead of calling the doctor. The village continued to look after her while the doctors cared for her father but the days went by and he got no better. He was dying._

_This was the first time that Andromeda would know fear. The doctors had done all they could but nothing was helping the man. Her rock, her support, her eyes for the night sky; she was losing them all and suddenly the world seemed so dark to her. Without him, who would she have. Yes, the village loved just as dearly and she would be taken care of but none could do for her what her father did every night. No one could describe the stars as he did with such passion. The stars! They had saved her once before so why couldn't they do it again? Andromeda opened her window to reveal what she hoped was a cloudless sky, as the snow had passed, and prayed for a miracle._

_She believed that the stars had saved her that night and wished that they could do the same for her father so there she sat in her room with the cold chill snaking its way into her bones causing her to shiver. She cared not for losing her life because she had done nothing with it and would never be able to do anything with it, but her father he was a man who had lost his wife when she gave him a daughter and then cared for that child's every need without complaint. He was always so proud of Andromeda that she swore there were times when she could see the smile on his face._

_She had no idea how long she sat there with her window open, silently praying to those sparkling lights of heaven for something, anything, to ease the foreign pain in her chest. Finally exhausted from being exposed to the winter chill, Andromeda fell into unconsciousness but not before she witnessed someone step through a brilliant flash of light that appeared in front of her open window._

_Instinctively, she reached out to the figure and slumped forward into the individual's waiting arms. That night, she had not been the only one praying to the stars. Her father knew that he was dying and begged for them to continue to watch over his daughter as they had since the night she was born. Hearing both father and daughter cry out with hardly any hope remaining, those spirits of the heavens finally stepped into the mortal world._

_What looked like a meteor shower, had been the birth and distribution of what would be called celestial gate keys. There were various keys, each representing a specific constellation, that would serve as the gates while the magic of a keyholder would unlock them. It would be some time before each key was found and identified, and even longer before they would exist in such close quarters of the world but none of that matter that night. For on that night, the Chained Lady's bindings were broken and she was freed becoming the world's first celestial mage._

When Freed had finished reading the passage, Evergreen looked at her watch and the cleared her throat to get the man's attention. He nodded at her and quickly stacked his notes on top of each other then handed them and the book to Levy.

"I'm sorry I couldn't translate anymore, Lucy, but my time was limited," he said apologetically. She looked so confused and conflicted but pushed those feelings aside when she shook her head and smiled at him.

"Don't apologize. I really appreciate you taking the time and doing this for me, Freed," she said smiling brightly at him. "Levy here will help me figure out the rest, right?" she asked looking at her blue-haired friend.

"Yep! You can't count on me, Lu," she agreed wholeheartedly. "I trust you wrote you notes longhand, Freed, because your shorthand might as well be classified as its own language," she giggled causing the man to blush slightly.

"I have no doubt that you'd be able read my shorthand just fine, Levy," he retorted, "But for simplicity sake, I wrote everything longhand and left the books from my personal collection with Lucy should you need to reference them."

With closed eyes, Lucy laced her fingers together and brought her hands over her chest then bowed her head as though she were praying, like Andromeda had. The blonde thanked the stars that she had such amazing friends to help her when she needed it. She promised them to try and be a bit more open with them and not solely rely on her own strength anymore, though she still wanted her own damn independence. The mage swore she heard her spirits laugh at her afterthought and joined them before opening her eyes.

"Thank you guys. It means so much that you're both willing to help me with this," she said with that illustrious smile of hers that no one had seen in over a year. It was contagious and everyone around her smiled back.

"No problem, Lu! You know we're always here for you. No matter what," Levy chirped.

"Indeed," Freed agreed, "You are most welcome, Lucy."

Lucy and Levy exchanged farewells to the two mages and watched them walk out. Levy looked at her friend whose smile had faded and wondered what was going through her mind. Celestial magic was a mystery to the world still as it's nature was unlike anything else in the world of magic. It was certainly shocking to hear the story Freed had read to them, and whether those words held any truth was yet to be determined but Levy was just that. She would finish what had been started and make sure that her best friend learned every secret that this book held.

"That must have been a lot to take in, huh?" Levy asked, drawing the celestial mage from her thoughts.

"Kinda, yeah. I'll have to ask Grandpa Crux about all this to see if there's any truth to it." Lucy walked over to the railing and leaned against it to look over the guild while Levy shifted the book and Freed's notes in her hands.

"Well don't do think too hard about it tonight," she suggested. "I'm gonna head home and rest. We'll start first thing tomorrow, okay?"

Lucy took one last look over the guild as Levy walked out the doors and decided then that she needed to see Laxus one last time before he and his team were gone for the next month.

* * *

Standing outside her open apartment door with her arms crossed and hips cocked to one side, Lucy tapped her foot on the wood floor and waited impatiently for her boyfriend. They had been on their way out of said door so she could see him off at the station, when he took a sip of the too bitter coffee she had given him with some of her tincture to ease his motion sickness. Sure, she could have asked how exactly he liked his coffee, she really hadn't thought he'd prefer it on the sweeter side, but he also could have said something before she handed it to him. Instead, he choked the bitter concoction down, rather than spitting it all over the back of her head, then walked back inside to add sugar while mumbling something about black coffee suiting her cold as ice attitude.

"Figured you didn't need any sugar since I'm around, Sparky," she taunted when he finally emerged.

"Can't say," he shrugged, "I haven't had a taste of you yet, Blondie" He had on that shit eating grin of his as he watched Lucy roll her eyes and step around him to lock up.

"Let's go. Don't want to miss your train do you?" She skipped ahead of him and his eyes followed the sway of her tempting hips. It struck him then, that is had been far too long since he'd last gotten laid. He took a sip of his coffee and pushed the thought aside. The last thing he needed on the train was a raging hard on because he couldn't stop thinking about bending his goddess of a girlfriend over and fucking her senseless.

"Blondie, it's late, why don't you just stay home?" he asked, attempting to distract himself from how the muscles in her legs bunched as she balanced on the ledge over the canal. "I can walk myself to the station."

"Don't flatter yourself, Sparky," she chided, "I just want to make sure I get my coffee tumbler back before you get on the train. That one happens to be my favorite."

"And here I thought you just couldn't get enough of me." Lucy jumped from the ledge and landed in front of him, never losing step as she turned around to face Laxus and kept walking backwards.

He was still wearing that cocky grin that sent shivers down her spine and straight to her core. The man was perfection and with how his eyes darkened a little as she raked him over, he was aware of just how he affected her. She should have felt embarrassed that he could smell how turned on she was, but the tightening bulge in his jeans meant he was just as hot and bothered as she.

Lucy though, was determined to get the last word in so she turned back around with enough force for her skirt to fan out and let him catch the smallest glimpse of her ass. Her innocent smile turned smug when she heard him choke on his coffee for a second time that night.

"See Sparky? We both know that I'm the irresistible one." Laxus moved his drink to the hand that was holding his bag, then reached out and pulled her back flush against him, his hand running across her stomach to her hip as he held her close.

He kissed the top of her head then brought his lips to her ear. "I won't disagree with that, beautiful," he whispered then nipped her ear, causing her breath to hitch and her body to shudder against him. He had to bury his face in her hair to stifle a moan when she pushed back against him. His grip loosened and he turned her around placing a finger under her chin so that she looked up. Her lips were parted and her heart had started to beat a tad bit faster and he decided that he had to have a taste at least once before leaving for the next several weeks.

However, Lucy was having none of it. Even though she had pushed her weight to her tiptoes and was leaning into Laxus, she brought her hand up and placed it over his mouth with their lips only inches apart and glared at him. "I don't think so, Sparky. I was serious about getting that back from you so finish the damn coffee." Laxus let out a defeated sigh as she stepped back from him and continued on to the station.

"Slavedriver," he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear then took another drink.

"Excuse me?" she turned her head to the side to look back at him, her eyes narrowed at him once again.

"I said thank you, Lucy," Laxus chuckled and held her hand, bringing it to his lips.

Her face softened and she smiled, leaning against him while still holding his hand. "You're welcome, Laxus."

He loved hearing her say his name and the realization that he wouldn't hear nor see her, made it that much harder to leave. He was going crazy though and needed to get away and she understood that. He also felt bad for leaving her when she'd stumbled upon something that probably made her a target and would put her life in danger. He had told her that he'd stay behind if she asked it but that only made her mad at him. Laxus knew that he was the luckiest man alive to have her care about him.

"Hey," he started a little hesitantly, "You sure it's okay for me to take this stuff?" he asked referring to the tincture that she'd put in his pack when she'd made him the coffee.

"Of course I am," she assured him. "If I need any I'll just get it from Mira." Their steps had become slower as the two neared the station. Lucy really didn't want to see him go but also didn't want to be another reason for him feeling trapped here. She had to remind herself that she didn't need Laxus. He wouldn't be the man to make or break her because those men simply didn't exist. Even still, she sure as hell wanted him.

"I was serious, you know," he said when he stopped them as his team was in sight. The three acknowledged the two blondes and Lucy waved to them but made to move to join them as they remained where they were. "I'd stay if you needed me to."

Lucy let go of his hand and faced him. "You're not staying, Laxus. We've already talked this through." she reached up to cup his cheek and he leaned into her touch, loving the slightly calloused feel of her hands.

"Then come with me."

She shook her head. "Not a chance. Besides, if I went with you, you'd probably whisk me away and never bring me home."

"Would you be opposed?" he teased.

"Very," she smirked and stood on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss, which she almost regretted because as soon as she started to pull away, Laxus dropped his pack and pulled her back to him, being sure not to drop the ceramic cup. Lucy let her fingers snake into his soft spikes and pulled him down to her.

When their lips met Laxus held her tightly as she molded against him. He slanted his head and slid his tongue across her lips, which she willingly parted for him. Laxus moaned at how sweet she tasted and Lucy smiled at the bite of coffee mixed with an unnameable flavor that was so uniquely him. There was no battle for dominance, no rush, behind the kiss as their tongues languidly danced together. After a good minute of standing there, Laxus tangled a hand in her hair and bit at her lower lip as he finally pulled away.

"If that's how you kiss goodbye I can only imagine what it'll be like when you say hello," he smirked, leaning his head against hers.

"Screw you," she whispered against his lips.

"Is that an offer, Blondie?" he asked as innocently as possible. Lucy's response was to shove him away and scowl as he snatched up his bag and turned on his heel. "Try not to miss me too much," he called back to her.

She waved to him and his team one last time before they boarded the train then brushed her fingers against her lips. His kisses were something that she was already addicted to and couldn't wait until he came back to her. She turned to leave and made it out of the station before remembering why she had walked all the way here with him.

"Son. of. a. Bitch." She whipped around and rushed back to see the train starting to pull away and Lucy could practically see the man laughing his ass off because she'd been too distracted to remember to grab her favorite tumbler from him.

* * *

The following morning, Lucy strolled into the guild, rather early, as her thoughts had forced her awake. The most prominent one being the story that Freed had read the previous day. The celestial mage had to admit that before yesterday, she had never once thought about the origin of celestial magic. She believed that the origin of all magic was born from love but there were countless types that were practiced and each had its own starting place.

Needless to say, Lucy was anxious to read that book and learn exactly why those mages had wanted to burn it. She also didn't want this potential threat lingering over her head for too long because it was going to get old very quickly if she was required to have a babysitter. Lucy suddenly wished that she ad just ignored the whole thing and went on that mission with Laxus.

Lucy took a seat at the bar and laid her head down on counter that smelled of the ginger and lemon scented cleaner that Mira loved so much. Said barmaid walked up to the blonde and placed a cup of black coffee beside her.

"Morning, Mira," she mumbled. "Thanks for the coffee."

Mira just smiled and tilted her head at Lucy. "You're welcome, Lucy. Long night?"

The blonde sat up and took as sip. She smiled at the faint taste of coconut oil that she had added for her. Mira really was the greatest when it came to making sure that everyone was satisfied when she served them.

"Not really. Just had a lot on my mind and was up early today." she said and shrugged. That's all it really had been.

The barmaid nodded at her, accepting her answer. "Not that I want to add anything else to your seemingly full plate but the master asked to speak with you when you got in. Erza came in on the first train this morning and has something she wishes you to be present for."

Lucy took another sip of coffee and hopped from her seat. "I'll go see them now." If Erza had taken the night train into town, only to immediately come to the guild instead of going home, then whatever she had to report was important. There was that and Lucy knew Levy would be in soon and she didn't want to miss anything when the script mage started translating the book.

Up on the second floor standing outside the Master's office, the celestial mage found herself hesitating to knock on the door. Somehow, she knew she wasn't going to like whatever she heard on the other side. Still, Erza should have only been a day behind her and Gray and she had only just arrived this morning. Concern for her friend was all the convincing she needed to bring her hand up and rap her knuckles against the wood.

Makarov was sitting in his office looking over the file that Erza had returned with. Said mage, was laying on a couch against the wall, having immediately fallen asleep when she laid herself down. The girl looked far too exhausted, like she'd forgone food and rest just to rush back to the guild. And for what? All he could gather from the file on this Jace fellow, was who he was on a personal level and that he hailed from the nation of Midi. Midi was a largely democratic nation whose monarchy was purely for show, but none of that really mattered because the mage in question had no connections to the elected government, monarchy, or even a guild.

The man just shook his head and closed the file, ready for the day to already be over before it had even begun. He stepped around his desk, intending on going downstairs to wait for the guild's celestial mage while Erza rested when there was a knock on his office door. The sleeping mage stirred slightly but did not wake.

"Come in," he called. Lucy opened the door and poked her head inside. "Ah, Lucy. You're in early."

The celestial mage stepped inside and Makarov watched her move directly over to her friend. "I was up early and couldn't bring myself to stay home. She looks tired."

"She was in a desperate rush to get back here, though I wish I could understand why," he sighed.

Lucy really didn't want to wake Erza but knew that the woman wouldn't forgive herself if she was allowed to rest before relaying the information she'd brought home, so she reached out and jostled her shoulder.

Erza groaned, ready to pound whoever was interrupting her sleep, when she heard the familiar lilt that belonged to Lucy. "Erza, wake up," the celestial mage whispered. She yawned then stretched her arms above her head before sitting up. Lucy giggled and watched the woman rub at her eyes and attempt to run her fingers through her hair to rid it of tangles. "It's not like you to be so exhausted upon returning from a mission. Gray and I expected you to only be a day behind us."

"That had been my intention but when I mentioned the mage you encountered, Jellal set up a meeting with a contact of his," she stated.

"I took a look at the file you returned with, Erza," Makarov started, "But all it contains is a personal recount of who Jace is."

"Any information on him can only be a good thing, right?" Lucy asked him, receiving a nod, then turned her attention back to Ezra, who looked to be completely awake now. "However, do we really need to worry about him. He was arrested with all the others from that guild."

"I'm not so sure about that," she answered, shaking her head.

"Then explain to us what this file doesn't say," Makarov said with a hardened tone.

"Jellal hadn't heard of any dark guilds that were actively searching for a celestial mage for any reason and especially not one looking to perform a ritual or the like. However, he knew the name Jace when I asked about him. In fact, Cobra and the others knew his name as well," she added.

"So who is this mysterious mage and why wouldn't he be in council custody right now?" The girls watched their guildmaster move back to his desk and open the file sitting in the middle of it.

"From what I was told by Jellal's contact, Jace has spent most of his adult life in Midi perfecting his magic by manipulating a large number of guilds and even some government officials," she said as Lucy sat on the couch beside her. "The reason none of that is in his file is that due to the nature of his magic, no one has ever been completely sure that they've encountered the man, despite his name being well known."

"Like mist," Lucy whispered to herself. Both Erza and Makarov looked at the celestial mage as she bit her lip and furrowed her brow before looking up as Erza. "But I remember him just fine. I remember..." she trailed off. Surely she hadn't imagined the whole thing. Her arm was bandaged and the cut on her cheek had since scabbed over. That's right! He had hurt her, felt him there when his magic surrounded her and was crushing her bones. She had hurt him too. Why then. Why didn't feel like it had been nothing more than a dream?

"Lucy!" she felt Erza grab her shoulders and shake her until she was focusing on the red-head. "It's a remnant of his magic. Mind melding is what he calls it."

"So he's leaves something behind that triggers a sort of memory loss when they try to think of him," Makarov mused.

"Yes, Master. It's how he's avoided capture and has given the illusion that he doesn't exist," Erza confirmed.

"As Lucy put it, he's just like mist. You can see him and feel him when he's near but just as soon as it fades, you wonder if it was really there in the first place."

"What does it mean though?" Lucy asked.

"I'm not sure but you're in no danger from the melding. At most you'll just mistake your encounter as a dream or something," she assured Lucy. "You won't forget the man per se, but you also won't be able to recall anything specific about him."

"It's affecting more than just my memory of him though," she said pinching the bridge of her nose. "Everything I learned from Freed yesterday about the book is fading. I can remember that he was able to break code and translated a small passage. All I can remember is that it was a story about the origin of celestial magic. I can't remember any of the details though."

"It seems we have our work cut out for us. We need to find out what this man is after and what secrets that book contains. I trust you and Levy will be able to handle that, Lucy?" he asked with a raised brow.

The celestial mage nodded. "Freed left us with his notes so we should be able to just pick up where he left off with ease."

"Then I won't keep you. Erza, I expect you to go home and rest." Erza wasted no time in leaving the two mages, stumbling very much like she did when she drank too much with Lucy and the girls. Makarov turned his attention to the mage still sitting on the couch. "Was there something else you needed, Lucy?"

There was but she was unsure whether or not it was appropriate for her to talk about it at the moment. When the celestial mage made no move to speak, the guildmaster simply moved to sit on the couch with her and reached for her hands that were clasped together in her lap.

"Thank you, Lucy." The blonde was stunned but smiled gently at the man. "My grandson doesn't seem as stressed with you around."

"How long do you intend to keep things as they are, Master? How long will you make him wait?" she asked, looking directly into his eyes. There was no point in beating around the bush. This was something that Laxus would never be so bold as to ask his grandfather but Lucy had no problem doing it.

The man just sighed and turned away, unable to meet her gaze. "My grandson hates the idea of becoming guildmaster. He's afraid of being tied down and losing the opportunity to live his life before taking on such a burden. Though, I'm sure you know all this already, Lucy."

"I do," she said and nodded. "He's always going to be afraid of that feeling though. Laxus' personality is very much like his magic. Wild and untamed. As long as he remains in this state of limbo, his restlessness is only going to grow."

"I know, child. But I've seen my grandson lose much in his life and knowing that he's going to eventually lose his freedom to see the world because of me makes it that much harder to pass the mantle," he admitted in defeat.

Makarov knew that his grandson was more than ready to replace him but he really did worry that it was too soon to let him take over. He was sure that if Laxus had any qualms about their arrangement then the man would say so but seeing how concerned Lucy looked was both worrisome and heartwarming. Nowadays the man hardly cared for himself, aside from making sure he got away from the guild, and cared more about his friends and guildmates. That was what motivated him to stay and help his grandfather for weeks at a time.

"Master, I know the feeling of loss all too well," she spoke softly. "But if you work yourself to the ground for this place, won't he be losing more than just his freedom when he takes that mantle? There's more to being guildmaster than just paperwork. There are things that he will look to you for guidance and if you're not there, who will he have?"

She didn't wait for an answer. At the door, Lucy looked back at the man and saw tears welling in his eyes. She wasn't sure what had come over her and hoped that hadn't been too disrespectful but what she said was true. Laxus' grandfather still had years ahead of him but he had done so much already and deserved to rest and enjoy those years instead of being behind a desk. But that was also the guildmaster's charm. He would do anything to appease his beloved children.

Makarov heard the door close behind Lucy and let out a shaky breath then smiled. "You, my girl, don't give yourself enough credit. So long as you remain by his side, Laxus won't need my help."


	9. A Day of Research

Lucy closed the office door behind her and walked over to the table that had been occupied by the thunder legion for the last several weeks. She sat down with her feet planted on one of the table legs and pushed against it so that she was balancing on the chair's back two legs. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought about what she'd just learned about Jaice, which wasn't much as she didn't look at the file that Erza had brought to the Master.

Without really focusing on her encounter with him, she tried to recall exactly what happened starting from the moment that she saw him walk down those stairs. She remembered him calling to the other mage that had been with him to burn the book, stating that he'd already found what he needed from it. Someone had stopped that mage but she couldn't recall who, Lucy just knew that she hadn't been fighting alone in the basement. She'd surprised Jaice but he had quickly retaliated and then... nothing. Beyond that all she knew was that she'd somehow beaten and knocked the man unconscious before hiding the book with... who was there with her? Dammit.

She opened her eyes, leaned the chair forward until the legs returned to the floor with a loud thud and got up from her seat to walk over to the railing. Lucy wasn't sure when she'd started looking over the first floor but she attributed her new habit to a certain lightning slayer. Since she'd begun working with him and hanging out with his team, she noticed that he often didn't sit when he took a break from paperwork. He'd normally stand in the spot where she was now and look over the first floor as if taking a headcount or making sure that there wasn't too much chaos ensuing. It was endearing to see that side of Laxus.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed Levy walking in with Gajeel, who was carrying the book and Freed's notes. The dragon slayer looked up at the celestial mage and nodded to her while nudging the girl beside him. She looked up at him and then to where his eyes were trained. Lucy just smiled at the two as her feet took her down to the first floor and met them at Gajeel's usual table.

"Morning Lu!"

"Morning Levy. Gajeel," she replied without her usual cheerfulness, already a little worn from this morning's meeting with Erza and the guildmaster.

Gajeel mumbled something incoherently and stalked off to the bar looking for Mira. Levy shook her head at him and sat down, patting the spot beside her. Lucy wasted no time in opening the book to the passage that Freed had read yesterday. Levy watched her friend reread the passage, her eyes following the finger that Lucy ran under each line so she didn't lose her place when she looked to a page of the notes.

"Lu? Did you think of something?" Levy finally asked when Gajeel returned with a plate of scrap iron, some orange juice, and a strawberry milkshake.

The blonde grabbed the milkshake and shook her head. Now that she had reread the passage, the details that had faded earlier were crystal clear and Lucy was relieved to know that there hadn't been any permanent damage to her mind and she was able to retain information. "Something weird happened a little bit ago," she started, looking at her friend, "I spoke with Erza and the Master about Jaice. Turns out, he has the ability to alter people's memories."

"Alter how, Lu? Like Mest's magic?" she asked confusedly.

Again, the blonde shook her head. "Not exactly. It's called mind melding. Erza told me that my memories of him would become fuzzy and I wouldn't be able to recall anything specific about my encounter with him. That part has held true but it only happened when I was actively focusing on him. But that wasn't all that had been affected when I was talking with them, I felt details about the passage drift away as well. I could have given a very basic summary if asked but it would be just that, a skeleton of the passage. It felt like those memories were ones of a dream more than something that actually happened." The celestial mage sighed and took a sip of her sweet treat that Gajeel had brought.

"Do you feel that way right now?" Levy asked worriedly. There would have been a moment of silence as Levy waited for the celestial mage to answer but Gajeel threw a piece of metal into his mouth and munched away, earning him a hard glare from the woman.

"I'm fine now," she said calmly to reassure the script mage. "But if I'm honest, it scared the piss out of me when it happened," she chuckled, causing Gajeel to choke.

"Really you two?!" Levy rolled her eyes at the pair and waited for their laughter to cease.

"Wow Gajeel. I didn't mean for it to be that funny but you choking only added to it," Lucy said while wiping a stray tear.

"It shouldn't be funny at all." Levy whispered.

The iron slayer looked to her and saw her sitting with her head down and shoulders slumped. "You're worrying for nothing, Shrimp," he said, pulling her close. "Bunny says she's fine."

"For now she is," she mumbled, refusing to look at him.

Lucy reached over and grabbed her friend's hand. "I'm okay, Levy. I haven't forgotten about what happened. It just feels almost like it was a dream," she said soothingly.

The script mage flicked her eyes toward her and Lucy's hand. "When we get done translating this, I'm going to look into the effects of this magic. Maybe I'll track down Mest, see if he can give some insight."

"That's not gonna happen, Shrimp. He's out doing something for Master."

"He's always doing something for Master," she pouted.

"Don't worry about it, Levy. Master told me that he was going to find out more about Jaice and his magic. I'm sure he'll make a point to contact Mest and ask about this."

"Alright," she finally said, giving up the argument. "Let's get started on this, Lu. I wanna know just what that man found in here."

The girls settled in and got to work. Levy, wearing her gale force glasses was able to speed through two-thirds of the book before coming to a stop. The last third of the book had been written with a slightly different dialect and it wasn't translating quite right so she decided to join Lucy in going through everything else.

They each read the translated pages carefully. Levy made sure she didn't skip or misunderstand any of the new information she was getting and Lucy was taking her time looking for something new or something that she'd never seen written in text before. For the celestial mage, this was just like going through her mother's books. She supposed that at one point the book was used to pass down knowledge from one celestial mage to the next, a resource for those aspiring to know more or even learn how to use celestial magic. But for Lucy, everything she'd read thus far was old news.

Lucy was just about to take a break and get something to eat when Levy perked up with a question. "Lu? It says here that celestial keys can be broken. Did you know that?"

Lucy looked over her friend's shoulder and read the page Levy had marked. The celestial mage knew all too well that the gate keys could be broken but she'd only learned that by breaking one herself. She never knew about it otherwise, so seeing that it was so plainly written in the book filled her with a bit of hope that this time would not be so wasted. But what would she tell Levy? Could she really tell her that she'd known this bit of information for some time now? No. She no longer felt the guilt she once did but talking about breaking a gate key still seemed taboo to her. It was also something she really didn't want to get out.

"I didn't," she lied. "Though this is something I'll be sure to ask Grandpa Crux about."

"Unfortunately, the next part is missing. Looks like someone ripped it out," Levy said, tracing the remains of said page. "You think Jaice took the page?"

Lucy shrugged. He could have, but for what purpose? "It could also have been anyone before him that's read this book. If whoever wrote this recorded how the keys break, then any reader could have easily removed the page. I'm pretty sure that breaking a key is taboo so I'd rather not know any specifics on how to accomplish such a thing. That being said, is there any indication as to an author or something?"

Closing the book over her hand to keep her place, Levy ran her finger across the cover, the spine, and even the first few pages but found nothing to show who the author was. In fact, the book was even unnamed, suggesting that it might have been a personal journal of some kind. But again, who's?

"There's nothing, Lu. I'm actually thinking that this might have been someone's journal a long time ago or maybe it was something they were wanting to get published but never did," she offered. "It's not even titled."

Levy made a valid point. It did hold some sensitive information so maybe the piece had been rejected. Either way, it was worrisome that there was a missing page and the book was unmarked and untitled, though Lucy was tired and her eyes were strained after reading for the last several days trying to help Freed. She needed to step away for a moment.

"I'm going to take a break, Levy. I'm starting to see double of everything."

"Go ahead, Lu. I'll call you over if I find anything noteworthy."

The celestial mage stood up and meandered through the midday brawls and drunken revelries in search of Natsu. She and Levy had only just begun translating but Lucy had spent the previous days working to break the code with Freed. She needed a break and she had promised Natsu that the two of them would take a job. Perhaps it was time to make good on that promise.

She saw Natsu sitting with Lisanna who was holding a napping Happy. She thought the two looked quite cute together but knew better than such thoughts. She'd heard plenty from Natsu that Lisanna was a sister to him and nothing more. Just as Natsu was a brother to her, though now their relationship was still strained. There had been something bothering the fire slayer as of late and Lucy wanted to help him through whatever it was but he had yet to say anything to her. Maybe he didn't want to discuss it with her. Maybe she was going crazy and reading too much into it.

The two mages looked up to the approaching blonde and smiled at her. Seeing them smile was contagious so Lucy returned one of her own and skipped over to the two. Yeah, she just needed some time away from a possible threat and to be surrounded by smiles and good moods.

"Hey Lucy!" Lisanna said when the celestial mage took a seat beside her and petted the sleeping exceed. "How's the research going?"

"It's going," she sighed, "most everything I've gone through is old news so far. Though we did find something promising so I guess it could be worse."

"That's good. I'm glad to see you're taking a break. You've been working hard for days now," she commented and as Lucy folded her arms on the table and laid her head down.

"At least I'm not in Erza's condition right now."

"Mira said she didn't look good when she arrived this morning. Is she doing alright?"

"Just tired." Lucy yawned and forced herself to sit back up so she didn't fall asleep. "For her sake she better still be in bed. The woman ran herself ragged just to bring us information that didn't help us find out what it is that Jaice is after."

Natsu leaned forward to reach across the table and held Lucy's hand in his. "Don't worry, Luce. you've got the whole guild watching your back, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy smiled gently at him, noticing a glint in his eye when he returned it. "Hey, let's go on that mission I promised. Tomorrow."

"You sure?" he asked sitting up straight. "You don't need to stay and help Levy?"

Lucy just shook her head. "She's already worked through two-thirds of the book. The last part wasn't translating quite right so she'll have to work with the notes Freed left to correct it. She'll call me if something important comes up."

"Then we'll stay close to home." Lucy nodded excitedly at him and he felt his cheeks flush a little.

Natsu watched the two girls spend the next hour chatting and sharing a plate of fruit that Mira brought them. Lisanna spent the better part asking about Laxus and telling lucy about him when he was a teenager. She looked so happy to learn about him when he was younger and that stung him. He suddenly wanted to just crawl away and hide.

He knew how Lucy felt about the lightning slayer and he wanted to be happy for her but it was so hard for him to just let her go. His rational and human side knew that he didn't deserve her and needed to let her be but he was fighting against his instincts. That was something Igneel had taught him never to do yet here he was fighting. He wanted her but more importantly he wanted her to be safe and happy and at the moment, that wasn't with him.

She looked him in the eye then, like she was about to say something but the words fell short and she closed her eyes tightly, rubbing her temples with a hiss.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Lisanna asked holding Lucy by her shoulders.

"Yeah, it's just a little headache." she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision and continued to rub her head. "It's just from reading so much the last few days. I'll be okay."

"Well take it easy, Lucy."

"I will," she assured.

"Lu!" Levy shouted from across the guild. "I found something, come quick!"

Lucy stood up a bit too fast and started to fall back but Natsu grabbed her hand, stopping her from falling back. Lisanna reached out next and pushed Lucy back down into her seat.

"You sure you're okay, Luce? I can take you home if you're tired."

"I'm okay. I'll go home a bit early today and rest. I gotta go though, see ya guys!" She got up and rushed back to where Levy was, stopping halfway to turn back to the fire slayer. "Don't forget about tomorrow, Nastu!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Luce," he said to himself.

Lisanna tilted her head to the side and gave Natsu a knowing smile. He looked away from where Lucy was to Lisanna only to quickly avert his gaze. "You're hopeless, you know."

"Shut up, Lis," he huffed.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, smiling at Happy who was sitting up and stretching now.

"I'm not going to do anything. We're just going on a mission." Happy looked over to him then, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"You're going on a job, Natsu? I wanna come."

Originally he had wanted to go alone with Lucy but when Happy looked at him still half asleep and a little sad that he hadn't been invited, he couldn't deny the exceed. "Of course you can come. It'll be just like old times."

"Hey Happy, why don't you go get yourself a fish from Mira?" That woke the exceed up and he flew off without hesitation.

Natsu sighed and let his head fall onto the table. "I'm not talking about this, Lis."

"You can't be happy with how things are."

"You're right, I'm not, but she's happy with Laxus," he whispered curtly.

"That much is obvious to the entire guild. But are you really just going to not say anything to her? How is she going to feel if someone happens to say something to her?" she questioned.

Natsu looked up in horror. "You wouldn't."

Lisanna reached across the table but Natsu recoiled from her. "You know I wouldn't ever do anything like that and no one in the guild would ever say anything on purpose but you make it obvious that you care about, Lucy."

"You don't get it, Lis. You don't see that distant look in her eyes when she looks my way," he admitted. He'd never been able to hide things from her so why start trying now? "She doesn't trust me like she used to because I just up and left. If I go and tell her how I feel when she's happy with another person, then I'll lose her for good. If that happens, it'll kill me Lis."

Happy returned to see the two sitting in silence and looking a bit down. Natsu was feeling a bit on edge and need to calm down so he closed his eyes to listen to the one voice that always put his mind at ease.

Lucy was talking excitedly about whatever it was that Levy had discovered. They were talking about broken celestial keys and repaired keys appearing after some time. Everything they were talking about made zero sense to Natsu but he knew that Lucy's keys were one of the most precious things in the world to her so hearing about broken keys was a little alarming.

He hadn't known that they could be broken and was relieved to overhear that after some time they would reappear on Earthland whole again. He saw that Lucy was very excited to learn about this though she was hiding it from the script mage. From where he was sitting, Natsu could just barely see tears welling in her eyes and heard that her heart had begun to race. There had to be a reason for her sudden behavior and he made a note to ask her about it tomorrow.

* * *

Meanwhile, in his office, Makarov was sitting at his desk with the file on Jaice open and in front of him. He was carefully reviewing it, yet again, trying to glean anything he might have missed previously. Sitting beside the file was his lacrima comm with Mest on the other end attempting to understand what his guildmaster was trying to learn.

"How exactly can I help you, Master? What are still trying to learn about this man?"

The old mage looked away from the file briefly then back to it, sighing. "Anything really. What Erza brought to me is a start, but we still have no idea what his motives are. Not to mention that it's entirely possible he's no longer in council custody."

"Then that's where I'll start," he offered.

"I don't need you to infiltrate. I just need to know whether or not he's there," Makarov reminded him.

"Understood. Were you able to learn anything more about his magic? You mentioned that he was capable of altering a person's memory."

"To an extent he is. Unlike you he is unable to insert himself into a person's memory. Though, similarly to you, his magic is capable of removing himself from their memories but isn't limited to just that. He's also capable of wiping them completely," he explained. "This contact that Erza met with went into great detail exactly how she knew Jaice and said that he's actually wiped his own memory several times."

Mest looked a little concerned but nodded anyway. "I trust that is something you kept from Lucy?"

The guildmaster nodded. How could he have possibly told her that there was still a chance that she could lose all of her memories. If that were to happen- No, he would not think such things. "Your primary task finding this man. So long has Lucy doesn't come into further contact with him, I believe that she'll be fine."

"Call me immediately if something happens to her. I don't know that I'll be able to do anything for her but I'd certainly try."

Makarov thanked him and cut the line. Reading that Jaice had wiped his own memories several times gave him pause. His and scattered history made a bit more sense now. However, it only made him wonder even more what was it that motivated the man.

* * *

After an arduous day of research Lucy headed home with what little notes she had taken throughout the day. They'd made it through the first two-thirds of the book and had learned very little. Even still, countless questions had come to Lucy and she wrote them down to either ask Crux to do a little research or ask Loke what she knew he'd be able to answer.

Before she left, Levy had agreed that she needed to take a break noting that the celestial mage had only been half aware of everything around her that afternoon. Lucy apologized but was reassured by the script mage that she was only concerned with her well being. She told Lucy to get some rest and while she worked on the last part of the book promising to call her once it was finished.

Walking along the canal with Plue, Lucy thought back to what Levy had shown her just after lunch. She'd found a passage regarding celestial keys that had been broken saying that there was no way for humans to repair them. However, after some time, it was possible for the keys to reappear in the mortal world. There was no specification on how long it could take but hearing that Aquarius was not lost to the world filled her with so such joy that she struggled to hide her excitement. It was still unknown to her guildmates that said spirit was lost to Lucy and seeing her over-excitement would only raise questions. There was also no guarantee that Lucy would be able to locate her key as it would appear very much the same way it first did.

Standing in front of her door, she felt Plue tug on her boots and she looked down at the spirit. He started dancing for her and she had to smile as she unlocked the door for the two of them. The dog ran past her through the door to the little basket of sweet treats she kept for him. He returned to her a moment later offering a lollipop which she happily took. Assuming that it was strawberry due to the red color she popped it into her mouth only to pucker her lips at the sour cherry flavor.

Despite his cute appearance, Plue did have a mischievous side. She remembered that he used to trick Natsu and Happy all the time. She missed those times, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She was looking forward to going on a mission with Natsu. It made her think of when her Fairy Tail adventure began. Those were memories that she would always be fond of. Memories that she was afraid of losing.

She wondered then, how far had Jaice reached into her mind during their brief encounter. Was it possible for him to erase every precious memory of hers in this moment if he wanted to? Sadness and fear filled her as tears threatened to fall. She kept a journal on occasion and still wrote letters to her mother so she could always look to those if something happened, but what if it wasn't enough? What would her friends do?

She thought of Laxus then. Oh stars, she couldn't even imagine what that would do to him. She had finally found something, someone, that made happy and look forward to the future. She didn't want to lose that. She was so terrified to lose that she couldn't hold herself up and fell to her knees, tears bursting from her eyes.

As usual, sensing his keyholder's distress, Loke stepped through his gate to find a crying Lucy curled into herself. The lion removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves walking over to her. "Lucy..."

"Loke," she stuttered.

The spirit sighed and held her close knowing that she would talk when she felt up to it. Lucy was thankful that Loke had come as she couldn't stand to be alone at the moment. She'd been so busy researching all day that she hadn't been able to think about what had happened this morning but now she was left with her own worst enemy, her wandering mind and oversensitive emotions. She didn't want to think about Jaice or what his magic could do. She wanted to ask the questions she had thought of throughout the day but instead she was a babbling mess.

"Don't overthink, Lucy," he whispered against her hair. "There's plenty of time for us to talk."

"I need the distraction," she mumbled, tripping over _distraction_. "Talk to m-me. Please."

"What about?" he asked, smoothing her hair away from her wet cheeks.

"Andromeda. Was she really the first celestial mage?"

"It's true that she existed and the few stories that still exist are largely romanticized but the general idea is the same."

"And her magic came to her when she had lost hope? Her hour of darkness."

She felt him nod. "She wished for a miracle and that's what we gave her."

She pulled away from Loke just far enough to look into his eyes."Can you tell me if Aquarius' key is here on Earth?"

"We'd have to ask her," he said with his head tilted to the side. "She won't know where her key is though."

"That's okay," she said with a shrug. "I'm happy just knowing that someone will be able to find her in the future."

"Will you look for her if she's out there?"

"I don't know." Loke stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and let him lead her to the kitchen where she started boiling some water. "I miss her but what if someone out there needs her more than I do?"

"What do you mean?" he asked as she took down two mugs and then the tea and sugar.

"Aquarius was my first friend, Loke, you know that. I want her to be for someone else what she was for me."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Princess. Don't worry, I think she'd be alright knowing that she's been replaced since you have a boyfriend now," he teased.

"That is so not the case, Loke!" she denied.

"You miss him yet?" he asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"I feel like this month is gonna last a lifetime." Her lips curled into a moue of suppressed annoyance when the kettle started to scream.

Loke removed it and filled the cups, relieved that he had been successful in distracting the woman from worrisome thoughts. The idea of her losing her memories didn't sit well with him at all but he pushed those thoughts aside wanting to spend the rest of the evening helping Lucy forget her troubles and making her smile.


	10. A DAy Away

The following morning, Lucy and Natsu were standing in front of the request board looking for a job that was close by but interesting at the same time. Nab pointed out some that had seemed interesting but just weren’t for him. Lucy pulled one down that called for the extermination of a some beasts that were causing destruction in a nearby forest close to the town of Acalypha.

“Oh Natsu!” She grabbed his arm pulling him away from the board to show him the flyer. “Can we do this one? It’s not far and seems pretty simple. For an extermination, the reward is pretty nice too.”

“Sure Luce,” he agreed without hesitation. “The train ride won’t be very long at all. We can even be back by tonight.”

“Actually...” she started when Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. “I was thinking we could walk there and stay the night.”

Natsu watched her gaze at the ground and wiggle her lip between her teeth. “Talk to me Luce,” whispered while reaching for her hand.

Lucy sighed, unable to resist the gentle tone Natsu spoke with. “Honestly, I immediately thought of my parents when I saw the job was in Acalypha. Would it be a problem if I took a little time to visit them?”

Natsu smiled softly at her. He took the flyer from the celestial mage and and walked over to the bar to clear everything with Mira. Lucy just stood there and watched him until he came back with his usual smile plastered on his face. “What are you waiting for? You’re mom and dad are waiting, aren’t they?” The blonde nodded happily and let herself be dragged away by the fire slayer.

A certain barmaid shook her head as she watched the two mages rush from the guild to be on their way. Mira had been watching the two since they’d walked in together noting that it had been quite some time since she’d seen them together like that. It was quite obvious to her how Natsu felt about Lucy and she felt sorry for him that the celestial mage didn’t share those feelings but she didn’t allow herself to worry too much or meddle into his affairs, as Natsu was always one to pull through and figure things out for himself. Instead she just smiled to herself and got lost in the daily chores of tending to her guildmates.

Come midday, the trio was halfway to their destination and Lucy thought about just how long it had been since just the three of them had taken a job. Not since before everything that had happened with Tartaros. She let her head fall back and looked up at the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds. It was a beautiful day and she was grateful that they had decided to walk, not only for Natsu’s sake but it would waste more time and she’d be away from the guild for a whole day. Maybe two if they decided to walk back.

“This is nice,” Natsu said. Lucy looked over to him and smiled at him and Happy, who was flying at eye level beside him.

“It is, isn’t it?” Lucy chimed, “We haven’t done anything just the three of us, have we?” Natsu and Happy looked back at the blonde. She skipped up to them and locked arms with Natsu.

“Not in too long,” Natsu answered, enjoying the unexpected closeness between them.

“Cause Lushy is always working solo, now.”

“Not always,” she pouted, “ though I can’t say that I don’t enjoy it.” She felt a little bad when Happy looked a bit dispirited but quickly brushed the feeling aside.

“We hardly see you at the guild either,” he added.

“Well, I’ve been working with Laxus when I’m at the guild,” she explained. “I like the work and he’s pretty good company.”

“Lushy, do you liiike, him?”

She smiled and thought for a moment. She liked him, that much was clear but did she feel more for the lightning slayer? Not quite, but if it was bound to happen, she’d let it. “I like him very much, yes.”

“Do you miss him?”

Her good mood turned sour at the question and she gabbed for his tail only just missing as he flew out of reach “You damn nosy cats!” she fumed, gritting her teeth. “First Loke and now you. Haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?”

“Natsu!! Lushy’s trying to eat me!”

“Come back here cat!” The exceed flew ahead of the two and Lucy gave chase. Natsu watched them race off and decided to join them. He quickly caught up to them both and hooked both arms around Lucy’s waist, lifting her off her feet. “Natsu! Put me down,” she shrieked as he effortlessly toss her over his shoulder and continued down the road.

“Not a chance,” he chuckled as she tried to squirm out of his grasp.

“Then at least give me a proper piggyback ride,” she whined. Knowing squirming would only make this more uncomfortable, the celestial mage stopped kicking and crossed her arms.

“I’ve seen you naked many times over and you’re embarrassed by this?”

“Not embarrassed, you dolt,” she huffed. “My stomach hurts like this and my boobs are suffocating me.”

“Oh, sorry.” Natsu stopped and let Lucy down to her feet, holding her steady to make sure she was alright. The blonde rubbed her sore stomach and took a deep breath. After a minute or so of standing there Natsu let his hands fall to his side and continued walking, with Lucy falling in step beside him.

She immediately noticed a change in his attitude and that he had put some space between them. Sure enough, there was something bothering him but she still didn’t know how to ask him. As long as she’d known him, Natsu had never been much for talking things out. He prefered to face everything head on with his fists and because of this, she wasn’t quite sure how he handled emotional stress when it wasn’t fueled into his magic. Then again, maybe that was his way of coping. It certainly fit his personality.

Lucy was curious though, sometimes too much so for her own good. Still, she’d seen Natsu with the same distant look in his eyes for weeks now and she really wanted to know that he was alright. “Natsu?” she spoke barely above a whisper.

He looked down at her from the corner of his eye. “What’s up, Luce?”

“Is there something bothering you?” she asked hesitantly.

“What do you mean?” he asked, turning his head to look into her eyes. Yeah, he had things on his mind but they weren’t to be discussed with her. Well, they were but he wasn’t sure that he could have a rational conversation about what troubled him. At least not with Lucy since it was about her. So when he looked at her, he made sure that he was wearing his usual smile that made him seem oblivious to all the troubles in the world.

Lucy looked away almost as soon as he looked at her, wondering exactly how he had changed his attitude so fast. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it,” she said shaking her head. “For a moment though, you just looked like there was something on your mind.” She knew he was hiding from her but also knew better than to force the issue. If he didn’t want to talk about it with her, then so be it. She wasn’t his keeper and he could take care of himself. Still she was worried about him.

“I’m fine, Luce.” He was thankful that for the moment she seemed to believe him

“You’d tell me though, if something were wrong?” She didn’t want to believe that he was shutting her out but what was she to expect. For an entire year she had shut just about everyone out and in a way she still was as she’d yet to tell anyone that she no longer held Aquarius’ key. She just really missed her best friend and wanted him back, She wanted things to be okay between them and until they were honest with each other, that would never be the case.

“Of course I would,” he said smiling at her.

She nodded at him and they traveled in relative silence the rest of the way to Acalypha. When they arrived at sunset, they went to see the mayor before checking in at the hotel. He was a stout man who explained to the mages that the open fields southwest of town were torn up and ravaged by a pair of wurms.

Lucy had read about the beasts before and wondered just why they were so far inland as they prefered the moist climate of the swamps. The mayor said that they had been sighted weeks ago in the forests but payed them no mind as he didn’t want to agitate them though now they were getting closer to the town and seemed to be causing more damage than before. He implored that they exterminate the beasts not caring as to why they were here. He just wanted them gone and away from his town.

Knowing the situation, the headed to the hotel they had been provided with, given their reputation, and prepared to investigate the where they’d been causing damage.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the guild, Levy was finally able to translate the last third of the book after a day of reading Freed’s notes along with several different language books. She quickly noticed that the last part was vastly different than the rest, listing spells and incantations linked to celestial magic, none of which she would have believed were real had she not seen the an entry for Urano Metria. She’d only seen Lucy attempt this spell once before and knew that her spirit, Gemini, had been the one to teach her. It was also known that Hibiki Lates had a vast amount of knowledge given his archive magic so he probably knew of the spell as well, though it was doubtful that he could cast it.

Other than those two sources, there was no record of this spell actually existing but she’d seen it and felt it’s power so she knew that the words before her were the real deal. So she continued to read, confident that whatever Jaice had found in this book was located in these last pages. Levy froze when she came across the most unusual thing that she’d ever read. Even with magic, she didn’t want to believe that something like what she was reading could be possible but she did. And since she did, the guildmaster needed to be informed right away.

Makarov had just finished a bit of paperwork and was preparing to go downstairs for a drink when there was an urgent knocking at his door.

“Master?” he heard Levy call, “Do you have a moment? It’s important.”

“Come in, Levy,” he acknowledged the girl as she strode to his desk and placed a book down in front of him.

“I’ve finished translating the book for Lucy,” she began, “and I think I’ve found what Jaice had been looking for but I’m not sure what to make of it.”

The guildmaster looked down at the open pages and flipped through them deliberately, not recognizing any of the invocations written. Save for the one spell that he knew Lucy was able to cast. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say or even be looking for so he continued to look through the pages until he came an entry detailing a ritual to, “Create a star?” he mused incredulously.

The script mage, standing opposite of him, nodded when he looked up at her. “It’s the only thing that I believe that he’d be interested in.”

The old man sat back away from the book, shaking his head. “Why though?” he questioned. “What does he seek to accomplish by doing something like this? And how would it even be possible?”

Her shoulders slumped at his questions. She didn’t know and she didn’t know how to find out either. All she knew was that her best friend was in danger still. She really didn’t even know much about how stars were born, only a brief summary that she’d read once. “I don’t know much about stars or astronomy, master...” she confessed, “but I’ve read once that the birth of a star of massive phenomenon.”

Makarov furrowed his brow at the disheartened mage and sighed. “Levy child, you’ve done great work in translating the text of this book. So please, have faith in yourself.” She looked up to see him smiling at her. It was a sad smile but given the information that she’d just presented to him, it was understandable. Still, she returned it with a bright one of her own and gave him a confident nod. “Do you know anything more about creating stars?”

“A star being born is the result of gravity compressing atoms in interstellar gas. It’s something that happens over thousands of years,” she explained.

“Then I find it hard to believe that it would be something that could easily be accomplished with magic,” he added.

“Precisely,” Levy agreed. “But there’s nothing else in this book that Jaice might have been looking for. I could be wrong but my gut tells me that this ritual is his goal,” she stressed.

“I trust your judgement, Levy,” he answered calmly. The information she’d given him only raised more questions but it was no use trying to pry for answers that he would not find. “We need to call, Lucy.”

“May I, master?” she sputtered as her attitude quickly changed and that confidence he’d just witnessed from her disappeared. “I don’t want her to worry about this while she’s on a mission.”

She made a valid point. It would be bad if something were to happen because her mind was elsewhere. “Alright, Levy. If you would?”

Levy took the lacrima comm from the guildmaster and channeled her thoughts to Lucy. After a few rings she saw Natsu appear on the other end. “Oh, hey Natsu. Where’s Lucy at?”

The fire slayer bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. “Natsu! There’s a jacuzzi in here! I can’t wait to get back,” Lucy exclaimed loud enough for her friend and her guildmaster to hear. Natsu directed his attention past the comm to where she assumed Lucy was standing. “Who is it Natsu?”

He motioned her over with a nod. “It’s Levy.”

A moment later she saw Lucy plop down beside Natsu and look into the comm. “Hey Levy! What’s up?”

“Lu, I finished the translation,” she said sternly.

Lucy’s smile fell as she took the comm from Natsu’s hands and pulled it closer to herself. “Did you find whatever it was Jaice was after?”

“I did.”

Sensing her friend’s uneasiness Lucy’s brow furrowed. “What wrong, Levy? What did you find?”

Levy wanted to tell her exactly what she’d found but knew that it would only end up distracting her from her mission. It was also finally sinking in that Lucy was possibly in grave danger and she hadn’t the slightest clue on how to keep her out of harm’s way. She was cracking.

Makarov saw Levy’s resolve falter again and held his hand out for the comm. “Let me speak to them, please Levy.” The blue-haired girl handed him the comm and excused herself before the tears could fall.

“Levy?” Lucy whispered.

“She’ll be alright, Lucy.” he stated. “Both of you listen up.” He waited until he could see Natsu beside her. “You are to finish your mission and then return to the guild at once. I’m afraid I cannot allow you to be gone for too long until we know Jaice’s exact whereabouts, Lucy.”

Natsu thought Lucy would say something about wanting to visit her parents but she remained silent and looked away from the comm she was holding. “Don’t worry, gramps. This job will be a breeze for us. We’ll be home before ya know it.”

“Alright Natsu. Look out for each other.”

Natsu cut the connection then looked to Lucy who was still silent. She met his gaze and tried to fake a smile as she stood up and reached for the comm to return it to her bag. Before she could step away from him, he grasped her wrists. “Luce, you should go visit your parents. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

She wanted to genuinely smile at him but just shook her head instead. “I can’t let you go alone. We’re partners on this mission.”

“Luce, we came this way because you wanted to visit them.”

“But--”

“Don’t worry about it. Besides, I’ve got Happy with me so I won’t be alone,” he smiled to her.

Lucy let the comm fall to the carpet as she lunged at Natsu and hugged him. “Thank you,” he heard her mumble against his shirt.

“No problem, Luce. We’ll meet back here before dark, okay?”

She beamed and nodded excitedly at him thanking her beloved stars that she knew someone as kind and understanding as Natsu.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Thirty minutes after leaving the hotel, Lucy walked through the simple yet pristine cemetery to sit in front of her parents graves. She used to feel sad whenever she visited them but the pain that she felt from losing them had slowly faded until all that was left was a small ache when it was time to say goodbye. She swept away any dirt on the stones and then arranged daisies around them as she spoke to them.

She talked about how conflicted she sometimes felt when Natsu was around. That she sorely missed her best friend sometimes but just couldn’t get over the fact that he’d left her so abruptly. Her mother would have been a little disappointed at her holding a grudge and she promised that she would try to sort things out with him. She talked about her new budding relationship with Laxus and how she almost ruined their first date because she missed her mother. She wished the he could have met the two of them, saying that she knew they would have approved and loved him.

After she’d run out of things to talk about she just sat there. Neither sad nor overly happy. Just existing in the moment imagining that her parents were sitting beside her and holding her tight. Whispering ‘I love you’ and “we’re so proud of you’. She let her imagination get away from her and she could have sworn that she heard their voices in the breeze.

Wanting to thank Natsu for pushing her to come and visit them even though they were pressed for time, Lucy stood up and started to head back to town to grab some food so he’d have something to eat when he returned. She had just made it past the gate of the cemetery when her comm rang for a second time that evening. She pulled the device from her bag and answered the call, surprised to see her boyfriend on the other end.

“Hey Blondie.” He smirked at her and she giggled at him.

“Hey you!”

“You’re outside?”

She nodded still smiling at him. “I was visiting my parents.”

His smirk faded and he looked away from the comm running a hand through his hair. “Shit... Look, I can call back when you aren’t busy,” he offered.

Lucy just laughed at him and moved to sit beneath a nearby tree. “You aren’t interrupting. I’m actually happy you called, Laxus.”

“Yeah?” he questioned, blushing slightly. He both loved and hated that she was able to turn him into a gushing teenager again.

“Yeah,” she assured him. She leaned her head back to look at the the orange sky. “Sparky, are you outside?”

“Mhm. Why?”

She looked down and cocked her head to the side. “Watch the sunset with me?”

“Heh, sure thing Blondie.” his gaze softened when she returned her head against the tree so that she was looking up and he followed suit. When he had decided to call her, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect but watching the sunset certainly wasn’t it. He wouldn’t complain though. Even if it was just something like this, he was happy to be spending time with her. “Lucy?”

“Hmm?” he heard her hum and looked at his comm. She was still looking up but now he was able to see how the setting sun made her eyes look like liquid gold instead of her usual chocolate brown. It was breathtaking, sure, but Laxus prefered the darker brown he normally saw.

“Were you just out for the day to visit your parents, or...” She looked down at him through her comm and stifled a giggle. She thought he looked rather... cute when he was blushing. Then she realized why he was blushing and felt her face redden as well.

“Laxus.” Lucy waited until he looked back her but still avoided her eyes. “Look at me please?” she asked. He did and she smiled exuberantly at him before being unable to contain her laughter. She tried so hard but he looked too damn cute and thinking of him as being cute was just too funny. “You are terrible at small talk sometimes, you know?” she howled.

“Shut up,” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry, Sparky. I just thought that you looked cute for a moment and then I thought it was fucking hilarious that I thought you looked cute.” She was holding her side, trying to catch her breath. “To answer your question, I’m out on a job with Natsu. I needed a break from researching and had promised to go on one with him.”

“Oh, how is the research going? Freed asked if I would make sure you two weren’t having any trouble,” he admitted.

“Levy finished working on it a little while ago,” she answered thinking back to the call when she was at the hotel. “She found whatever Jaice was after and informed Master. He ordered Natsu and I to finish our mission and head home immediately.” She sounded sad then.

“Hey,” he said gently. “What did they tell you?”

“Nothing,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “Master only told us that it wasn’t safe for me to be away from the guild while Jaice could still possibly be out there.”

“Does that mean they think he’ll come back for you?” Laxus had to admit that the idea of some rogue mage pursuing Lucy didn’t sit well with him. But he’d come to learn that it irked her to no end when others doted over and sheltered her. He also knew that there was the possibility that someone could get hurt trying to protect her and that would spell trouble all around. If that happened, they’d lose her to this madman for sure.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Probably.” She knew that staying home was the safest place for her to be. Still, it pissed her off that her family always felt that she had to be protected. More so than most others.

It hurt to see her like this, like she had no control over how to live her life. It was a feeling that he was growing familiar with. He’d known since he was a teenager that he would end up taking his grandfather’s place as guildmaster and while he used to like the idea of running things, it terrified him now. But for Lucy, he knew that she had come from a life of no control and even though she had walked away from all that years ago, she still seemed to struggle with that feeling.

“I wish you had come with me,” he professed wanting to change the subject but also wanting to let her know how he really felt.

Lucy eyed him for a moment then smirked. “Is that your way of saying you miss me?” she asked suggestively.

“Hmm, at the very least I miss that kiss, Blondie,” he leered.

Lucy adjusted herself so that her breasts were pressed together and looked as though they would burst from her shirt at the slightest movement. “You wanna know what I miss?

She bit her lip and he gulped, holding back a groan. “Shoot.”

She playfully giggled at him. “I miss my damn mug that you didn’t fucking return before you got on the train.”

Laxus hung his head and sighed. He knew that she was being a tease but bringing up that damn mug was the last thing he’d been expecting.

“Dammit, woman. I wasn’t done with the coffee and didn’t want to let it go to waste. Besides, I like having something of yours.”

Lucy smiled warmly. She was in a much better mood having been able to visit her parents and spend some time talking with Laxus. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Whenever you need someone, call me. I’ll always come for you, Lucy.” she felt her heart skip a beat and was glad that Laxus was far from her because she didn’t need him to hear that. She wanted to believe him because he was becoming something quite special to her. But she’d heard that phrase before. “I mean it,” he added, “I want to be there for you.”

“I don’t know...” she began, “Bix is a pretty reliable guy too,” she teased.

“You’d really play me like that?”

“Nope. But if for whatever reason you couldn’t be there for me, I’d call him next.”

“Bix is alright like that. And I trust him so I guess that’s okay,” he said with a shrug.

“Oh I wasn’t asking for permission, Sparky, I was telling you,” she asserted. Laxus let out a bark of laughter and Lucy joined in, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes. After a good minute the joke had passed and the two calmed down. “It’s gonna be dark soon. I need to get some food and get back to the hotel before Natsu does. I’ll talk to you later, Sparky.”

“Night, Blondie. Stay safe.”

“You too, Sparky.”

Lucy cut the connection and returned the comm to her bag before she started jogging down the road back towards town. She had almost made it when she heard someone calling out to her from town. The celestial mage strained to hear and recognized the voice of Happy.

“LUUUSHY!”

“Happy?” She didn’t stop running until the exceed crashed into her and even then, continued toward town. “What happened? Where’s Natsu?”

“Fighting! The wurms are nocturnal.” Lucy let him out of her grasp and he quickly took flight picking her up with ease. She held her bag tightly with one hand and reached for Loke’s key with the other as he raced over the town to the opposite side where Natsu was fighting.

“Hang on, Natsu. Backup’s on the way.”


	11. Enough

At max speed, it took Happy only a minute to fly over town and to the other side. "Happy!" she shouted, "Drop me right into the fight!"

"Aye!" When his paws released her, she channeled her magic into Loke's key to summoned him and the stardress to match.

The mage and her spirit fell through the air, each landing on a creature, causing them to roar in pain. Natsu, having been on the defense, leapt out of the way as one writhed about on the ground and tried to burrow.

"Yo, Loke," he greeted cheerfully. The spirit had but a split second to acknowledge the fire slayer before having to jump out of a wurm's path.

The creatures were massive and Lucy didn't expect them to be easy to defeat, but the direct hits from both her and Loke were proving to be ineffective, despite how they would shriek each time either went in for a hit. "This is getting us nowhere," she hissed under her breath. The celestial mage stepped back from the fight and observed how each wurm reacted to the attacks from Loke and Natsu, noting that one reeked of burnt flesh. Almost immediately, she came up with a plan. "Natsu, fly up with Happy and wait for my signal."

He looked confused for a second but when his eyes met hers, all doubts he might have had were washed away. She nodded confidently and ran toward Loke, who met her in the middle, having already heard what she'd been thinking. "Don't worry, you guys won't be able to miss it!" she called for good measure.

Natsu rushed to Happy and the exceed grabbed him up then took off. "Aye sir!" they shouted in unison. From nearly seventy feet up Natsu was able to everything unfold beneath him. He watched as Lucy moved gracefully between the forty foot long wurms until she and Loke had them facing each other, their heads raised up, ready to dive down on the two.

The two stood back to back as the creatures moved to strike and focused their magic into shining the light of Regulus around them. As high he was, Natsu had to squint to see what was happening. The wurms were blinded and rammed into one another, leaving them stunned and unable to burrow. Taking that as Lucy's signal, Natsu took a deep breath and poured all of his strength behind a mercilessly hot fire dragon's roar.

When the flames died down and the wurms were no longer screeching, Happy and Natsu returned to the ground. He spotted Loke and Lucy nearby, the former holding the blonde tightly, their clothes singed. He ran to them and knelt down, carefully pulling her from the spirit's arms.

"Luce, you okay?"

The blonde nodded and the mages turned their attention to Loke. He pushed himself up and grinned at them, signifying that he was alright. Her plan to draw them in and just let Natsu go wild with his fire was simply insane, and a sure-fire way to get burned, but he trusted in her and she trusted in him to get them out before they were caught in it.

"Nice thinking, Luce!" the dragon slayer exclaimed, happy to see his comrades mostly unharmed.

She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Loke noticed his keyholder was completely at ease around her best friend again, which made him happy. It meant that she was letting her heart heal and recover from that pain.

"Without Loke, we wouldn't have been able to pull it off, so it was a group effort," she added.

"You're the one who comes up with the brilliant plans, Princess. I just seem to follow along even if they are insane," he jested.

"Well, that is the Fairy Tail way," she proclaimed while shrugging with Natsu nodding in agreement.

Loke just shook his head as he jumped to his feet and offered a hand to Lucy. She took it and cut off the magic that had been feeding her stardress, returning to her sleeveless halter top shirt and shorts. He watched Natsu get up and put some space between him and the celestial mage. The spirit cleared his throat grabbing the slayer's attention.

"Look after her, Natsu. She's bound to do something stupid," he warned.

"You can count on me, Loke," he assured.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the two and crossed her arms. They each gave her a sheepish smile before the spirit said goodbye and left them in the field. Talking to Laxus earlier and then getting caught up in the fight had pushed what the guildmaster had told her to the back of her mind. Loke just had to open his mouth. Stupid cat. She was capable of looking out for herself and was growing tired that everyone was trying to make sure she was being protected.

"Let's get back to the hotel, Luce," Natsu spoke softly, turning from the ashes of the wurms and heading back to town. "He's just looking out for you. He doesn't mean anything by it," he added when she made no effort to move. She sighed, turning on her heel to catch up to him. Natsu was right and she was just overthinking things again.

When they got back to town, she sent Natsu and happy back to the hotel ahead of her, claiming that she needed to stop by the store. The two didn't question it and said the bathroom would be all hers when she got back. She had no idea what she was in the mood for and just ended up grabbing a couple large bento boxes for Natsu, some snacks, and a bottle of wine.

It had taken her about twenty minutes to get back to the room and when she arrived Natsu was stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another thrown over his head. She watched him walk over to a cart of food and was stunned. Kicking the door shut behind her, he looked in her direction as she held her hands holding the bags up.

"I guess we'll eat what you got since it's hot," she proposed. "You can have this as a snack later."

"Sure," he agreed shifting uncomfortably under her eyes, though she didn't seem to notice as she walked past him to the small fridge. Before he ended up staring at her, he grabbed his bag then shut himself in the bathroom. A handful of minutes later he return to the main room to find that Lucy moved the cart between the beds and had already opened up a bottle of wine.

He sat across from her and the two, plus Happy, greedily dug in. They joked and talked about anything and everything, seeming like there had never been anything wrong between them. When they were full, Lucy opened a second bottle of wine and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Natsu to clean up the mess alone.

It was nice, spending time with her again like this and he wanted it to happen more often. With Laxus gone for the next month, this was really the only time he'd be able to spend with her because sooner or later, he knew that Laxus' instincts would recognize the threat that Natsu posed to his relationship with the celestial mage. He would never put Lucy through something like that intentionally but if he wasn't careful, things could end up badly for one of the slayers. If that happened, it'd hurt her more than either of them.

They were up with the sun the next morning to collect their entire reward before boarding the earliest train back to Magnolia. It was only an hour ride but without Lucy's tincture he collapsed once they sat down. She sat beside him in the window seat and Natsu let his head fall to her lap. She rolled her eyes at his over-dramatic antics, but made no effort to push him away. Instead, her hands ran through his hair on their own, lightly dragging along his scalp until his breathing evened out.

"Luce," he groaned when the train finally jolted to a halt.

"Yeah?"

"The mission was fun, right?"

She stopped her ministrations and looked down at his pink spikes. She had learned that there was something Natsu wasn't telling her which made her a little sad, and she hadn't been pleased with the master's instructions to come home. However, Natsu had told her to visit her parents anyway and by doing so, she'd gotten to spend some time talking to Laxus too. Even the mission had been completed without a hitch and they got the full reward.

"I had fun," she confirmed. He was still resting on her lap looking at the empty bench across from them but the shuffling of everyone else had died down so he finally lifted his head so they could exit the train.

Natsu went directly to the guild while Lucy veered off toward her apartment. She'd been quiet since after dinner the previous night and Natsu wondered if she'd been thinking about what was in that book of hers. He watched her go and almost went after her but decided against it after she shouted that she'd be at the guild later.

Inside her apartment, she counted out her half of the reward and set it inside the safe box she kept the rest of her money in. She had enough saved up to put something down on a new place. It was a mundane thought but she appreciated such things when the rest of her life just seemed too exciting.

Her thoughts had begun to drift toward her call with Levy and the guildmaster when she was in the bath. She wanted to know what it was that the script mage had discovered but was also afraid of learning about whatever it was Jaice had planned for her. They were coming back to her so she forced them back and called the real estate agent she'd been meeting with the last few weeks.

When looking at different places she feared that she was being too picky but the agent had assured her that was normal and that he took no offense. Some people simply didn't know what they wanted until they saw it and that was very much the case with Lucy. Still, she was confident they were finally at a point where she could decide on a place and put a deposit down. No matter what the world was doing around her, she was the one with the final say of what happened with her life.

* * *

A couple hours later, after calling the agent and unwinding for a bit, Lucy headed to the guild to collect the book from Levy. The thanked her friend profusely before heading down to the library so she could review the it's contents with Crux.

The blue-haired mage looked worried and Lucy tried to comfort her, though it didn't look like she was listening. Even Gajeel looked a little frustrated with Levy, so the celestial mage ended up just wrapping her arms around Levy for a minute without saying anything and then left her sitting with her dragon slayer.

Lucy summoned the southern cross once she'd made herself comfortable and prepared for the worst. She was a little hopeful that he'd have something fruitful to tell her, but also wasn't expecting too much in the way of good news.

"Hello, Miss Lucy," he greeted solemnly.

"Were you able to find anything regarding where the book came from?" she asked curtly. She was never short with her spirits and after realizing her tone, bowed her head to the spirit. "I'm sorry Grandpa Crux. I'm letting things get to me."

The spirit brushed her tone aside. "I understand, Lucy. We're all just as frustrated since there seems to be no record of this book. It must have been forgotten for some reason."

"Well, it does contain some knowledge about celestial magic that I've never seen recorded in writing before," she admitted. "Not knowing who how or why this knowledge was obtained then recorded makes me worry that much more."

With his hands resting on his knees, the spirit nodded at the mage. They really did understand how she was feeling and not just through the contracts they shared with her. The secrets of celestial magic were meant to remain just that and they hoped that Lucy would allow them keep the book in the spirit world after this mess was sorted out.

"I do apologize for being unable to find anything to make this easier, Lucy."

"There's no need to apologize," she stated firmly. "Levy finished translating the book yesterday and thinks that she found what Jaice was looking for. Would you take a look and tell me if such a thing is possible to accomplish?"

The spirit looked down at the open book that the mage pushed and read through the pages. He thought it was comical. In theory, this ritual was sound but the whole idea was ridiculous. The stars were far beyond human reach not simply because of distance, but also due to the physical properties of stars. The stars were light years away it was also a phenomenon that couldn't be replicated by any human.

"I've never heard of such a ritual ever being attempted before but the stars are something that humans cannot reach," he informed her.

"So this ritual is bound to fail no matter what?"

"Though whoever wrote this did a great deal of research, no, the mage would not succeed in creating a star. However, I believe there will be dire consequences if it is attempted," he added.

"At least we don't have to worry about the world ending because some loon wants to use my soul to create a star," she digressed. "But master still won't be pleased to hear that I'm possibly still in danger."

"There is no possibly, miss Lucy," the spirit admonished. "Until this man is stopped your life is at stake."

"It seems my life is always at stake," she lamented. The two sat in silence as Lucy flipped back and forth though the book, desperate to find- well she didn't know what. She was just sick and tired of always being at risk for some catastrophic plot because of some idiot. Of course, she found nothing and was ready to chuck the damn thing when Gray appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Yo, Lucy. The master's wants to see us." He motioned for her to follow and she rolled her eyes. She handed the book to Crux, who simply bowed his head then disappeared.

"What do you mean by _us_?" she inquired, eyeing him carefully.

He just shrugged and walked to the second floor with her close behind. "Don't know. He just wants the whole team."

She felt everyone's eyes on her as they ascended the stairs and it was pissing her off. Yes, she understood that the guild was family. Yes, it was normal for them to look out for and worry about each other. But goddammit all if it didn't piss her off to know that they all felt sorry for her because she was a target. Again.

Gray knocked on the master's door then walked inside. Erza and Natsu were already waiting for them, looking like they had been in deep conversation with the master by the looks on their faces. That was gut wrenching for her. The people that she told herself she trusted the most, looked at her like she was some important individual that needed saving.

She sat down on the arm of the couch furthest from everyone, as she didn't want any sort of pity or attempted comfort from anyone so she wasn't going to give them the chance. It was tense in the room not just because they didn't know what was about to be said but everyone could feel just how upset Lucy was. The more she thought about everything, the harder it got to hold back angry tears.

"Mest contacted me just before I asked you all here," Makarov started, observing how Lucy's hands were clenched on her lap. "Jaice is not is council custody. There's not even any record of him being arrested in the first place."

Gray was the first to speak after he allowed them to process what had just been revealed to the four.

"Gramps, how is that possible?" he questioned as calmly as he could manage, not feeling the temperature like everyone else was.

"I'd like to know as well," Erza added. "He was restrained before the Rune Knights arrived. Lucy had made sure of that before Gray and I regrouped with her.

"I don't know any details," he claimed. "But this man is wandering free and he's after Lucy for one reason or another."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats except Lucy. She had moved so that she was holding one leg to her chest while the other was planted on the ground so she didn't fall face first. No one made any attempt to look her in the eyes. They knew if she saw anything, she'd either breakdown or lose it.

"I found out more about the ritual, Master. Crux assured me that what Jaice seeks to do, cannot be accomplished. He does still believe that it poses a threat to me if he attempts it still."

The old man nodded at her. "Thank you for looking further into the matter, Lucy." He paused because what he wanted to say next was last thing he wanted to do was put her under lockdown and force her to stay in the city or even at the guild, so he wasn't going to do that. He doubted she'd be pleased with alternative he had in mind though. "Until we can locate and apprehend Jaice ourselves, You are to remain with your entire team if you wish to leave to the city. When you're home, Erza will stay with you-"

"No fucking way," she swore. She stood up shaking her head, her eyes clenched shut. "Absolutely not. If you want me to stay in Magnolia for a bit, fine. I can do that. But I refuse to be babysat in my own home." She stormed out ignoring Erza's protests, who followed her out of the office, and brushing aside anyone who dared to grab for her.

"Let her go, Erza." The requip mage turned to Natsu who was standing in the doorway of the guildmaster's office. His eyes were narrowed, daring the woman to ignore him. Lucy had grown accustomed to a certain amount of independence and since he'd returned to the guild, she was getting less and less of that. She needed to be alone right now and Natsu would make sure that she got her space.

Erza thought otherwise. She knew what it was like to live with everything bottled up and didn't want to see Lucy succumb to that because she didn't know if that was something the blonde could recover from. She turned from him and stopped when he let out a deep growl. She thought it had barely been there, but everyone in guild was frozen and looking up at the two.

Natsu hadn't meant to growl, but he was letting his instincts slowly take over to do the one thing they'd been shouting at him for months; protect Lucy. Gajeel and Wendy eyed him with caution, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.

"Enough." It was barely a whisper but Natsu heard the master and relaxed. The fire slayer stood aside and let the old man walk past him. "We cannot let this crisis tear us apart. We are family and we will get through this. Together."

"But Lucy," Erza protested until Makarov held up a hand to stop her.

"Just because Lucy needs her space does not mean she doesn't need our support. There is much on her mind she no one can help her sort through it all but her," he insisted. "We will wait until she comes back and if she can't do it on her own, we'll extend a hand and guide her back."

He was no longer speaking to just Erza, but to the guild as a whole. Lucy was hurting and everyone was feeling it. The best thing they could do for the celestial mage was to continue moving forward, enjoying and smiling each day as the normally did. She needed that distraction so her mind could not wonder about the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' of the world.

* * *

Loke watched his distraught keyholder walk through the streets of Magnolia. She didn't know what to do or where to so she just walked, trying to hold back her tears. She had demanded that he not come and that he prevent the others from trying to as well, so he was standing watch with everyone gathered around him. No one dared to take action and disobey Lucy or stand against the lion. No one but Aquarius, who was no longer bound to the celestial mage.

"Can I help you, Aquarius?"

"How are you going to protect her?" she demanded.

"As it stands, she wants to protect herself. When something happens, I trust her to call us for help," he answered honestly. "Beyond that, I don't know."

"Like hell, Leo! You know just as well that she'll end up doing something stupid and get herself hurt, or worse," the mermaid countered.

Loke had never liked how Aquarius treated Lucy, but that came from their opposite personalities. Lucy tended to cling and be possessive in nature while Aquarius thrived on her independence. But Lucy adored the spirit because she was the first contract she'd ever made and was a treasured friend of her mother's. "Now you're worried about her," he stated dryly.

"That's not fair. I've always been concerned about the girl," she defended. She wasn't one for being overly emotional like Lucy was, but watching her pull away from everyone she cared about and wander aimlessly about the streets did worry her.

"But you don't love her. You don't even know her," he offered. She had to stop and think. The Lucy she knew would have heeded her guildmaster's orders and gladly accepted her team's protection, but she wasn't that girl anymore. Without Lucy holding a complete key, she was no longer able to watch Lucy like the others. Aquarius watched her slip between the people on the streets with purpose and wonder where she could be going. "She's going to her boyfriend's house."

Aquarius looked at the lion. He was right. Lucy had changed so much in the time that she hadn't been able to see her. "She's not the whiny kid I knew anymore. She's grown up.

"Did you know that she doesn't want to search for your key?" he asked. Aquarius just shook her head. "She'd rather give someone else a chance to find you, so that you can be for them what you were for her. She loves you so much, that she's let you go Aquarius. Your broken key no longer sits on her keyring." Loke wasn't telling her this to spite her, but to show her that Lucy was no longer a girl that needed to be protected. She was her own woman who had precious people that she wanted to protect.

"I know I have no right to ask this, but if Jaice comes after her will you-"

"That's the last thing I want to do to her," he interrupted before she could finish the question.

"You may not have a choice," she pleaded. "I know what it's like to lose that girl and I can't even begin to explain how much that hurt, Leo." She reached out to the lion and forced him to meet her eyes. "I'm not talking about her dying. If this mage that's after her gets anywhere near her, she could lose her memories, right?"

Loke squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "She'll hate us if something happens to someone else though."

"Then let her. You'd be saving her and her family a world of pain. If you're that worried about her hating you, tell her it was my idea!" she shouted.

"You still don't get it, Aquarius. She can't hate you." His words echoed as no one could deny the statement.

He payed her no mind and watched as Lucy came to Laxus' house. She lifted a planter that Evergreen tended to, grabbing the spare key from underneath it. The first thing she did after walking inside was remove her keyring. No longer able to watch her, Loke opened his gate and appeared in the middle of the guild hall. Half the guild was looking at him and the other half was looking at the second floor, so he turned his eyes up and saw the guildmaster watching them all.

"Master, may we talk?" he asked with a raised brow.

Makarov nodded at the spirit who walked up and into the man's office without a word. He still didn't want to think about what Aquarius had tried to suggest and hated himself for coming to Makarov with the idea, but she had been right about one thing. It might be the only way to protect her from Jaice when he came and it that were the case, someone from the guild needed to know.


	12. Confrontation

Days had passed since Laxus and his team left Magnolia and in that time, they'd met with their client in a town located on the southern edge of Waas forest. There were rumors of a dark guild lurking in the forest attacking merchants and travelers passing through. The same thing was happening to those coming from the north end of the forest. With that information, the four easily assumed they'd find these mages in the heart of forest not too far from the road.

They spent a day traveling along the road and easily took out the guilty mages that ambushed them. However, the group felt a strange energy settle over the forest and were convinced that there was something sinister at work around them. They were compelled to investigate it before leaving.

Laxus had no trouble sniffing out whatever it was they headed toward but the moment he got close to it, they realized that they'd been caught in a misdirection spell. A powerful one. The lightning slayer felt like he'd get them a little closer each time, but then the scent would suddenly change directions before they could reach the source.

"This is getting us nowhere. We've double backed how many times now?" Evergreen inquired agitatedly.

Beyond frustrated with the situation and other things, Laxus spun on the woman with a glare that made her flinch. "Yeah, I know Ever," he growled. "Everytime I think we're close to getting out, this shit shifts around."

"I wasn't blaming _you_ ," she asserted. "I was just thinking that maybe we need to try something else since we've been stuck for so long that it'll be getting dark soon."

"By all means then, think of something," he snapped. "I've got a fucking headache." He stomped off ahead of them, beyond caring if they got separated.

Bickslow placed a hand on Ever's shoulder and she shook her head at him. "I'm good Bix. I could have said that better with tensions running so high," she confessed. "You should go check on him. He's been irate since the master called him the other night."

"We still have a few hours before it's completely dark, so Ever and I will try to look for a weak point," Freed offered. "Separating isn't an option."

"Right," Bix nodded. "I'll make sure he doesn't get too far ahead. You guys pay attention though and don't fall behind."

The two nodded and watched him catch up to Laxus. Freed wondered aloud if it had really been a wise choice for the guildmaster to inform Laxus that Jaice had not been apprehended. Ever didn't quite know how to answer. but she thought the master had to have had a good reason to bring it up while they were in the middle of a mission. She also offered the idea that maybe he had called as his grandfather rather than the guildmaster, reminding the rune mage that the call between them had been a rather long one.

Freed thought about Ever's words. The relationship between the lightning slayer and the guildmaster had slowly mended since Gildarts reinstated his status as a member, but to call them close would be an exaggeration. If anything, Laxus just respected his grandfather properly now. But maybe she was right and they had spoken about something of a more personal nature.

The fairy mage and rune mage for silent for some time after that, trying to feel a break in the spell surrounding them. Freed thought that since the spell only shifted once they got close enough to it's edge, that it was possible for there to be a rune surrounding them. If that were the case, then all he would need to do was locate a weak spot within the rules, and then rewrite it because a rune of large size could very easily have multiple weak points if it had been rushed. The remaining hours seemed to drag on until Ever and Freed felt the air change again, this time far more subtly than before that they expected Laxus and Bickslow to miss it since they'd not been looking for it.

"My hair is starting to frizz up," Ever complained.

"It's gotten humid." A heavy mist had settled over the two making it hard to see more than three feet in front of them as the sun was already low in the sky. "Fog?"

"Jaice wielded a type of mist, didn't he?" Ever asked, panic in her voice.

"Laxus! Bickslow!" Freed shouted. He'd only just realized that they'd gotten out of sight and prayed that they hadn't gotten too far, leaving the group separated. A second later, the men came into view.

"Why'd you stop?" Bickslow questioned. "You find something?"

"I don't feel the misdirection spell any longer. Instead this mist has settled in it's place."

He was right, none of them could feel the effects from before. However, when Laxus inhaled to catch the scent of something he could use to lead them back to the main road, all he could smell was the moisture in the air.

"Dammit. I can't smell anything past this mist. How are we gonna get out?"

"Well the spell changed for a reason. I also don't feel like my magic is being suppressed so I might be able to do something about the mist."

The group made a fire to give Freed a little bit of light as he and Ever worked on adjusting the spell around them.

"How's cosplayer?" Bix asked, hoping to get the lighting slayer talking since he been silent after his little outburst.

"Irritated to hell."

"Can't say I blame her. Weeks ago, she's told that she can't work solo and now she's gotta have a babysitter."

Laxus sighed and shook his head. "I don't think I helped to improve her mood any."

Bickslow eyed the blonde as he ran a hand through his hair. "Good lord, what did you say to her?"

"That I was glad to know that she was safe," he mumbled.

"What else, Laxus?" Bix prompted.

"I tried telling her that the old man is just looking out for her."

What he didn't tell his friend was that his grandfather had been speaking to Loke before he'd called him to inform him about Jaice the other night. They'd spoken at length about protecting Lucy and while both the spirit and his grandfather seemed against the idea, they were considering it simply because they didn't know what might happen to her once Jaice was near her again.

Laxus didn't want to consider the possibility of Lucy losing her memories so he decided that there would be no chance of it happening. The celestial mage might end up hating him, but if he wasn't there to help protect her he wasn't going to risk her losing everything because of her pride.

"I'm sure she knows that. But she's a mage in her own right," Bix explained.

"And a prideful woman that doesn't need anyone," he scoffed.

"Hey. Doesn't mean that she don't want someone around."

Laxus knew Bix was right. If Lucy didn't want him, she'd say so. This whole situation was just fucked up and he wanted to do nothing than just go home to her and try to make it better, not that he knew how to make things better. They continued to talk for a little longer. Lucy had finally found a new apartment and was starting to move in. Bickslow assured him that the distraction was a good thing for her. It would let her feel normal and lot like some crazed loon was possibly hunting for her.

Ever came back to sit with them as Freed made a few more adjustments to the enchantment. The lightning slayer apologized to her for snapping and she just shook her head offering her own apology. She rested with them for a little bit and asked about Lucy's new apartment. He told her that the celestial mage had found one that she was finally happy with even though it had more space than she could use up. The fairy mage joked about maybe moving in with her and Laxus said that all she had to do was ask.

The place had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The selling point for Lucy had been the jacuzzi in the master bathroom. Evergreen was definitely going to consider asking her friend for the spare bedroom since she was getting tired of Fairy Hills.

* * *

When Freed walked over, Ever nodded at him and stood up motioning for the other two to follow. They returned to where he'd been working and she made sure they were prepared for whatever was waiting for them once the mist was cleared. The rune mage recited the incantation and the mist was lifted to reveal a small clearing surrounded by at least twenty mages. One of the mages stepped from the crowd and pulled back his hood, a smug grin on his face. His hair was black and fell over his gray eyes.

"So these are the four you've been so concerned about?" he mocked. His were held open to them as though her were extending them a warm welcome. "Well I must admit, to be able to clear the mist in such a short time and with little effort, it would seem that you all were rightfully afraid." The man narrowed his eyes at Laxus. "Leave all but the lightning mage alive. I have uses for their magic."

The man turned away and the others started attacking. Freed called out to Bickslow who moved to cover the rune mage as he began crafting another rune to give them control over the fight.

Ever leapt up and summoned her wings to hover over the group that had surrounded her. She shot them down with her fairy machine gun but was knocked out of the air by someone behind her. She managed to recover fought beside Bickslow as Freed finished writing his rune.

Laxus teleported after the man that had been speaking, cutting of his path and forcing him to jump back away from where he struck.

"You don't get to dish out orders and then walk away."

"Normally I do, but you seem to be an interesting sort and I've been rather bored since evading imprisonment by the council." Laxus furrowed his brow at the familiarity of the man's words. "I need this to end quick I have someone I need to be looking for."

"Oh? Maybe I can help when you're face first in the dirt," he taunted.

Laxus surged forward, his fist connecting with the mage's jaw. The lightning slayer showed no mercy but the mage was able to find some ground and tried to ensnare Laxus within his mist. He was easily able to teleport from it before he was physically trapped but the mage had already tapped into his mind.

"You seem to know the individual I'm looking for," he said, sounding genuinely surprised. Laxus fell to his knees and clutched his head after landing as the mage tapped into his mind. "Why don't you tell me where she is."

"Laxus!" Evergreen jumped between the men, devoid of her glasses and looked the man she now knew was Jaice. She'd already suspected as much with the mist but his mind melding confirmed it. Jaice looked away and fled before she could gaze into his eyes that had been glowing.

"Done!" Freed shouted as he finished his rune. Any mage that continued use their magic would find it hard to breath. "Bickslow, you and Laxus get back to Magnolia now," he ordered.

"Freed and I will clean up things here. Hurry up," she added.

Bickslow knelt down beside his friend and pulled him to his feet, dragging him away from the fight. With Laxus' lightning they could be back home in no time, but Jaice had done a number on the man when he looked into his mind. Bickslow only hoped that he'd come to his senses soon so that they could get to Lucy first.

Two days later, a strange fog settled over Magnolia when the sun was peeking over the horizon as Jaice tried to find the celestial mage within. Lucy was fast asleep in her bare apartment and woke up, feeling a familiar tug on her mind. Before she came to, Horologium's gate was opened and she was taken to the spirit world.

She looked down at herself and recognized the clothing as something Virgo had once brought her. Still half asleep she watched Loke offer his hand to help her stand, a sad smile on his face. All of her spirits were there, each happy to see that she was safe but also a bit saddened. Loke would be the one to take her wrath and anger since he'd been the one that sent Horologium to get her, but they each felt a bit guilty about bringing her here to protect her.

"Loke, what's going on? Why am I here?"

The lion spirit just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I waited as long as I could."

"Loke," she whispered, placing her hand on either side of his face and forcing him to look at her. "Waited for what?"

"Jaice just arrived to Magnolia."

He could see that she was confused and lead her over to the fountain where they watched over her on occasion. There, she looked down at the water and saw her home blanketed in the familiar mist.

"Loke, you have to take me back," she said shakily. Now was not the time to lose her cool because he;d never let her go back if she wasn't calm. "I need to warn the others."

"I'm sorry, Lucy. We can't risk that."

She spun on him and glared. It hurt that she was looking at him like that but this was what had been agreed upon. They were doing what they could to protect their mage, consequences be damned. "Loke, take me back this instant," she fumed.

"You're as obnoxious as ever, girl," came a familiar voice.

Lucy turned around to see Aquarius on the other side of the fountain, a rare gentle smile gracing her face. "Aquarius," she sputtered.

"You have to stay here until this passes," she commanded bluntly.

Lucy tried to argue but the sad look in the water spirit's eyes made her think of the day she broke her key. She walked over to the spirit and collapsed, tears streaming down her face. She'd missed the spirit so much and if Aquarius was honest, she missed Lucy as well. But now was not the time for an emotional reunion. She explained to Lucy that bringing her to the spirit world had been her idea in the first place. She told her that if she wanted to be mad at or hate anyone, that it needed to be her.

Lucy pleaded her case to Aquarius. She needed to be there to fight with her family if it came to that. She didn't need to be hidden away and protected. She was perfectly capable of doing that herself. The spirit just chided her and reminded her that she'd grown too prideful in wanting to do everything on her own.

The celestial mage wanted to argue but the spirit was right. Loke had been telling her so for some time now and she hadn't listened. Instead, she'd acted like a child and ignored him saying that she needed to stop relying on others to solve her problems.

Lucy looked to the pool and saw Laxus approaching Jaice, who was standing on the cliffs that overlooked the city. She looked up at Loke who looked truly regretful that he'd brought her here. She reached out to him and tried to reassure the lion with a smile before looking back at the pool.

"She's vanished. Hmm, maybe I can wait until those spirits bring her back," Jaice mumbled with a shrug.

"What do you plan to accomplish? What's all this for?" Laxus barked out.

Jaice turned to look at the lightning slayer, annoyed at his persistence. "You mean the ritual? Hell, I don't even know if it'll work. I was just curious to find out."

"Curious?" he scoffed. He couldn't believe it. This prick was going to use Lucy asa fucking sacrifice just because he was curious. "Is this a fucking game to you? Playing with people's lives?"

"I wouldn't say easing my boredom always included someone dying," he sighed. "But she's eluded me again and I'm quickly losing interest, which is never a good thing."

Laxus saw nothing but red and as he did two days prior, the lightning slayer charged at the man. Lucy was forced to sit back and helplessly watch as the two men traded blow after blow. Jaice was physically weak, but the celestial mage was afraid to see what he would do when he was pushed into desperation. And Laxus, she hardly recognized him and realized that she'd actually never seen the man when he was in dragon mode.

It reminded her of Natsu, how uncontrollable and feral he seemed when he was pushed that far. Was Laxus this way because of her? Was he fighting purely on instinct because her life had been threatened? It was clear that he wasn't going to let up until Jaice was dead. However, the mind-melding mage didn't look like he was giving up easily either.

There's was something different about him. Just as Laxus could become part of his lightning, Jaice had become part of the mist and Laxus' attacks had ceased to do anything to him. Lucy was starting to panic as Laxus started to fall behind. Jaice was able to get in a solid blow and knocked him back and he didn't immediately get up.

Laxus shouted in agony when the mind-melder gripped his mind. The mage's eyes and tattoos were glowing. The lightning mage was unable to fight against him. "I'm sorry... Lucy."

"Oh you will be," Jaice spat. "She would have died quickly, but now I'm going to make her suffer."

"Let me go back!" Lucy cried. "Please... please. Live. Laxus"

" _Live. Laxus."_ Lucy's voice rang through his head and his eyes snapped open. That's right. He was fighting for her and she was waiting for him. He took the deepest breath he could manage, summoned his magic forth and let out that same breath with all his remaining strength before his world went black.

* * *

As soon as Magnolia was in sight, Laxus sent Bickslow to find Lucy. He had tried her old place only to find her bed empty. He didn't know where the new apartment was so he just headed to the guild praying that she'd be there.

"Bickslow?!" Mira was more than a little surprised to see the seith mage burst through the doors.

"Mira! Where's Lucy?" She opened her mouth to tell him that she hadn't been in yet but words didn't come. "Mira!" he called again. His voice was filled with desperation.

Makarov, hearing the commotion downstairs, walked from his office to investigate. He saw the seith mage leaning against the bar, out of breath. He also saw a confused Mira who couldn't seem to answer him.

"Bickslow," he called. The mage looked up at him. "Tell me everything," he demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Bickslow, remaining on the first floor, explained to the guildmaster, and everyone else sitting the hall, what had happened to them in the forest. How Jaice had organized an ambush after trapping them inside the forest. The mind-melder had tapped into Laxus' mind and learned that Lucy was here. Laxus and he had been the only ones to give chase. He assured the guild that Evergreen and Freed were fine and probably already on their way back to Magnolia.

Makarov responded by informing him that Lucy was safe, though he wouldn't say where she was. Bickslow pleaded with him, but the old man simply ignored him and asked where his grandson was. Bickslow assumed that Laxus had sought out Jaice by himself to finish this. Only then did the seith mage realize what a horrible mistake he had made leaving the lightning slayer alone..

Bickslow turned on his heel and ran outside, looking for his best friend's lightning. Seeing the strikes on the far west side of the city, he took off hoping that he could get there before this was all over. It wasn't that he wanted a piece of the action per se, but they had no idea how to protect themselves from Jaice's mind-melding. The only way they could prevent him from even attempting to use it was keeping him on the defense.

He ran past Natsu who was shocked to see him and called back to the fire slayer to follow him. Picking up on the urgency in Bickslow's voice, he ran after him. When the two reach where Bix had seen the lightning, they find both men collapsed and unconscious. The seith knelt beside Laxus and rolled him to his back. He was pretty beat up but Jaice looked ten times worse. Seconds after Bix looked over the lightning slayer, Lucy appeared.

"Bickslow!" she called and ran to kneel opposite of him.

She cradled his face between her hands and leaned over him, pressing her forehead to his. She felt Bickslow lean over and rest his head against her back as he let out a shaky breath.

"You're okay," he sighed. "Where the hell were you? Master wouldn't tell me?"

"I was taken to the spirit world," she admitted sadly.

"Did anyone know?"

"I can only assume that both Laxus and his grandfather knew," she answered.

Loke would never have brought her there without seeking advice from the guildmaster. And if he did go to the master, then she knew that he would have told Laxus. Had he given Loke the okay to just take her while he fought to protect her?

"If he knew, then why would he send me to find you?" Bix choked out.

His weight left her back and she say up to look at him. Why would Laxus fight alone if he knew that she was already safe. Her eyes grew wide and filled with tears as she looked back down to her unconscious boyfriend. She wanted to be upset with him for sending her away but knowing that he'd fought alone to protect his best friend as well, knowing the risk.

"Bix," she sobbed. "What if he did something to him?"

He reached over and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as possible, given how they were sitting. "Shhh. He's gonna be okay. He's just a little beat up is. Everything's alright now." She wanted to believe him but she just had too many questions.

"Lucy!" The two looked behind the celestial mage to see Wendy run past Natsu and directly to them. Lucy hadn't even realized that he had been there.

The girl knelt beside Lucy and made sure that they could move him to the guild. He had several fractured bones and she could definitely tell that there was some brain damage, but she couldn't say that. Looking at both the seith and celestial mages, she tried to think of what she could do to help them. They were grief-stricken and lost in their heads with uncertainty and self-doubt. They needed something to keep them grounded and focused on the now.

She turned to Natsu who was hovering over the other mage.

"Natsu, is he alive?" she inquired.

"Yeah. He's in bad shape but he'll live." Laxus had done a number on him but it was clear that he was still alive. Natsu's instincts raged and he had half a mind to take the mage to finish him off, but that wasn't going to help anyone.

"Good," she acknowledged and nodded. "I need you to get Laxus back to the infirmary at the guild. He's fine to move, just be careful please. And send for Porlyuscia when you get there." She stood up, holding Lucy close and stepped aside for him. She thought the blonde might fight her but the woman was limp and allowed herself to be moved while clinging to the healer.

Wendy watched the fire slayer carry Laxus away and then turned back to the seith mage. They needed to get Jaice back to the guild as well, but she wasn't going to risk anyone touching him and falling under his influence. She sat Lucy back down and asked for Bickslow to follow her. She explained that she was going to heal him just enough to be conscious and able to move.

Without needing an explanation, Bickslow agreed to go along with her plan. She would heal him and he would use his figure eyes to bring the man back to the guild without ever having to come into contact with him. While doing so, he'd be able to see into his very being and see if there was something he could possibly glean from the man.

Wendy felt ill at the idea of healing this man but they needed this man alive just in case he had done something to Laxus. When he opened his eyes, Bickslow removed his visor and looked down, reaching for control. When he had it, he lead the mage back to the guild with Wendy and Lucy following just behind her. Both prayed that nothing serious had happened to the lightning mage or there would be hell to pay.


	13. Realizations

Lucy was sitting beside the bed Laxus had been occupying for the last couple days. She couldn't remember exactly how many had passed since Jaice had come for her and she had been forced to watch Laxus fight him. She wanted to be thankful that he'd go to such lengths to protect her but she was mostly mad at him for doing something so stupid, and that he'd known it would probably upset her to a degree. And for that, she was mad at herself.

Porlyusica had already been waiting at the guild when she arrived with Wendy and Bickslow. Erza took charge in handling Jaice, immediately binding him with magic sealing cuffs and brought him to an empty room in the basement. Fairy Tail didn't keep prisoners and they had every intention of handing him over to the council, but until Laxus was awake they'd learn everything they possibly could from the man.

Everything passed Lucy in a blur. Wendy had sat her down with someone and then disappeared with Porlyusica. She waited with whoever she'd been left with (she thought had heard Mira and Lisanna close by at the time) for what felt like forever. Nobody looked happy, even though they were, to see that she was safe. They were mostly hoping that nothing serious had happened to Laxus.

At one point while waiting she felt someone watching her and looked over to see Natsu with a grim expression looking directly at her before turning his head to the infirmary. She was glad that she wasn't able to hear what was going on behind those closed doors.

When the two healers finally came back into the main hall, Wendy brought her to see Laxus while Porlyusica pulled his grandfather aside. Wendy explained to Lucy that his physical wounds weren't anything to worry too much about. Then came the bad news. He was still unconscious due to the effects of Jaice's magic. She didn't know exactly what he'd done to Laxus and told her that cleansing the magic was a delicate process that couldn't be completed in one sitting.

The first night, Bickslow found her asleep in the chair at his bedside and moved her to a vacant bed. He'd spent the rest of that day with Erza and Mira in the basement, trying to get Jaice to talk but had learned nothing. Mira cleaned him up a bit and made sure he was fed and hydrated so they could continue the following day. When Lucy woke up the next morning she found the seith mage asleep in the same chair she'd been in the previous night.

Instead of waking him, she left a note, then went home to shower and eat something. When she had gotten to her nearly empty apartment, she remembered that she only had the place for another week and still had a lot that needed to be packed and moved. She wasn't going to be able to finish it all alone and summoned Virgo to ask for her help. The spirit was all too happy to lend any assistance possible and even offered to bathe and make something to eat for the blonde.

Lucy let the spirit spoil her because she knew that it made Virgo feel more at ease and she could tell that they were all a little worried about the celestial mage being upset with them. She couldn't be, because she knew that they intervened as an act of desperation. They simply didn't know what could have happened to her and wanted to protect what they considered precious to maid let her sit in the bath while she made some food and after she'd eaten, Lucy returned to the guild.

So there Lucy was, sitting beside his still sleeping form, waiting for Laxus to wake up. She'd go home each morning to bathe, pack, and eat before returning to the guild. On this day though, Wendy had finished cleansing his mind of Jaice's magic and believed that the lightning slayer would wake up soon. Bickslow had gotten a call from Ever and Freed notifying him that they'd be home by sundown before he went to the basement with Erza.

She tried not to think about what they were doing to the man as they hadn't gotten anything from him beside his name. It made them think that maybe, just maybe, he'd wiped his own memory and not Laxus'. Lucy tried to be hopeful too, but she'd seen the entire fight. She knew that Jaice had touched his mind and whatever he had been doing had caused Laxus great pain. She'd been the only one to hear what that mage had told him. That he was going to make her suffer. What could he have meant?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the infirmary door click shut, wondering when it opened in the first place. Bickslow walked past her to sit on the bed opposite of where she was facing. Without his visor, she could see that his eyes were bloodshot. Probably from lack of sleep and using his figure eyes so often in such a short span of time. He looked at her and tried to offer a smile but it only made him look more tired.

"You should go home, Bix. Let yourself properly sleep," she suggested.

"And what about you? You've been with him all day," he tried to argue.

Lucy looked at down at Laxus' hand, which she'd been holding the entire time, and just smiled. "I haven't been exhausting myself trying to get something out of Jaice."

Bickslow just sighed and fell back onto the bed. The man was scared and confused so the only forcing they'd done had been through the seith mage. But the man really only knew his name. They still kept him restrained, saying that it was for his protection. It was partially true but ultimately, they didn't trust the man or his magic.

"He really doesn't know anything," he mumbled, more to himself then to Lucy.

The celestial mage looked up from Laxus and observed the man. His eyes were drooping but every time they fell closed, he'd snap them back open. Wanting to help him relax, she started humming the melody of Ludovico Einaudi's _Nuvole Bianche_ , or what she could remember of it at least. It was something that her mother used to play and sing it to her when she was little, and the celestial mage almost wished it were raining because she loved how it sounded alongside the pitter patter against the windows.

She stopped minutes later when she heard Bickslow softly snoring and looked back to the lightning slayer. Wendy had healed his cuts so his body was only dotted with bruises and a lot of them. They had already yellowed, making the man look ill but that was about it. She helped Porlyusica to wipe his body clean each day, but he'd need a proper shower after he'd awoken and was checked out by Wendy one final time.

She hated that he was even if this situation in the first place because it could have been avoided if had just thought things through before rushing off on his own. Then again, this _was_ Laxus who was a dragon slayer. And like every other dragon slayer in the guild, he was bound to have done something reckless even if he'd had someone with him.

There was a knock on the door and Lucy waited for whoever it was to enter, but when they didn't she let go of Laxus's hand and walked over to the door. Everyone had been stepping on eggshells since Wendy had brought her to the guild when it really wasn't necessary. She was fine and she believed that Laxus was too. She could have been mad but what was that going to do for her? What happened, happened and that's all there was to it.

She quietly opened the door so Bickslow didn't wake up, though she doubted that he would even she'd weren't trying to be quiet, to find Freed and Evergreen smiling at her. She pulled the door completely open and wrapped her arms around the two, each returning the gesture.

"I'm glad you guys are home," she whispered. "I was worried when Bix told me that Laxus and he had left ahead of you."

"We're happy to see you safe and sound, Lucy," Ever replied.

"Yes. We were hopeful that they'd make it to you in time," Freed added. "But that didn't turn out to be the case, did it?"

Lucy tightened her hold on the two once more then stepped back and invited them into the room. "Wendy said that whatever Jaice had done to him is gone." Lucy followed their gaze to Bickslow, laying on the bed beside Laxus'. "He's been with Erza and Mira everyday, trying to learn something from Jaice."

"He's been using his eyes every day?" Ever asked worriedly.

"Have you been taking care of yourself, Lucy?" Freed questioned, eyeing her cautiously as though to make sure she was okay.

"I've been sleeping here," she started. "But I only have a couple days left before I have to be out of my old place, so I've been going home for a few hours each morning to pack and then relax for a little bit." He seemed satisfied so she didn't say anything more as he looked back to unconscious blonde. "We're just waiting for him to wake up. It shouldn't be long now."

Freed nodded and the two thanked the celestial mage for looking after their teammates. Not wanting to crowd the room, they bid her goodnight and left her alone. She moved over to where Bickslow was and threw a light blanket over his body then returned to her seat.

She held Laxus' hand once again and brought it to her lips. "We're waiting for you, Laxus. Don't take too long, okay?" she asked, unaware that he was able to hear her.

* * *

The next day, after Lucy had spent a few hours packing things she returned to the guild, as she had been everyday, and found Bickslow at the bar waiting for Mira. She walked up beside him and tapped his shoulder. The seith mage turned around and smiled at the blonde. He was wearing his visor and she couldn't see his eyes, but he had slept through the night and had still been asleep when she left that morning.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked him.

He just shrugged at her. "I slept. Thanks to you I suppose."

"Me?!" she asked coyly. "I was just humming a bit last night." He chuckled at her response and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Any changes?"

Mira walked up then, offering the two a bright smile, and placed a drink in front of the seith mage. Lucy frowned when he grabbed it and nearly downed the entire thing in a matter of seconds. "Bickslow?"

He led her by the arm to the infirmary, away from prying eyes that had started to land on them. Once inside the room, he moved to sit on the bed he'd slept in the previous night and motioned for her to take a seat.

He took a breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out. "He can hear us," he said almost too fast for her to catch.

Her breath hitched as she tried to find the words to respond. Laxus was practically comatose and she'd once read somewhere that it was sometimes possible to the individual to hear bits and pieces of their surroundings, but how did he know that he was able to hear them?

"How..." she blanked, still trying to process his words.

"His soul."

That was how. Bix had told her once that seeing one's soul meant more than just being able to control them. They way he explained it was that souls could vary in color and in brightness and that each one had something another didn't. Like hers. He'd told her that he could the stars living within hers. Souls reacted to the world around them and some were more sensitive than others.

"He's trying to find his way back, Lucy," she looked away from Laxus and to his best friend, who had removed his visor because he knew that she preferred to see his eyes. "Would you talk to him? Can you help him?"

Her smile softened, but that was something Laxus couldn't see as he listened to the two speak. He'd heard Bickslow and the rest of his team- wondering when they'd gotten home- talking about Lucy. Bix offered to be the one to tell her and then the room had fallen silent.

He hated that silence, ever since he'd heard her voice the night before, he couldn't stand not being able to hear anything. He tried to open his eyes but his body wouldn't listen to him. He was stuck inside his head until someone, he didn't care who, came back. Since he had time to think, he tried to remember what had happened.

He'd been on a mission with his team and then they had been ambushed. Bickslow and he returned to Magnolia, in pursuit of someone... Jaice. Was that the name? That's right, he was after Lucy and they had followed him to save her. He had fought the mage and won, he thought. Maybe he hadn't given his current condition.

What mattered was that Lucy was safe. She had to be if she'd been sitting with him each day and he could hear her speaking to him. But he so desperately wanted to open his eyes and see for himself that she was okay. He recognized that it had been her voice that rang through his head and her name that had fallen from his lips before his world went black.

"Laxus," she beckoned softly. "Don't stop fighting. We're all waiting for you."

Dammit. Why couldn't he just open his eyes?

He listened to her for... Well he didn't care how much time had passed because she remained with him the entire time. At one point, someone had brought her food and she was a quiet for a little bit but started talking again not long after. She told him how long he'd been bedridden. That Bickslow was making sure she was taking care of herself, though she expressed that Bix was the one that needed looking after.

She assured him that she was indeed looking after herself and that she was spending a few hours at home each day to pack up some things and then move a few boxes to her new apartment. She'd officially be out of her old place in only a couple days and that while she was excited about moving forward, she was going to miss that apartment. She'd been living there since she joined the guild which didn't seem like that long ago, but it had been just over two years.

Those memories made her think about her first impression of him. She admitted that if he were awake, she'd probably be too embarrassed to say anything but she was throwing caution to the wind. She thought he was egotistical asshole when she'd first met him. He didn't like to be reminded of who he used to be and how he used to act, but she didn't harp on or lecture him. She spoke about what she observed and said that while she couldn't fully wrap her head around the reason he'd done what he did, she surmised that there had been a valid cause since he didn't seem like the type of person to do horrible things just because he could.

He felt her squeeze his hand and then something wet hit it. Tears. She sniffled and let go of his hand. He whimpered at the loss of contact and tried to reach for her, but again, his body wouldn't listen. He was beyond frustrated.

"Laxus?" he heard her ask. He thought she'd left but she was still with him. "Laxus?" she asked again. "Can you hear me?" Of course he could, but he couldn't answer so she didn't know even though she'd been talking to him this whole time despite that.

He willed his eyes to open once again, and this time they did. He looked up into her chocolate brown eyes that were brimming with tears. She smiled at him and caressed his face with a slightly calloused hand.

"Lucy," he whispered.

"Yeah," she whispered, her breath shaky. She was still smiling. "I'm here."

"You're Lucy?" he asked.

Her smile disappeared and he just blinked at her. He remembered her name and voice, but as he listened to her talk he couldn't put a face with her name and it occurred to him that he didn't know who she was or how she knew so much about him.

They sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Lucy stood up to leave the room. She paused at the frightful expression on his face and offered him a smile. "I'll be right back. I just need to tell Wendy that you're awake."

"Promise?" He wasn't sure why he asked for a promise, but a part of him just knew that she was someone who always made good on her promises.

"I promise."

She walked out of the room and stopped just outside when she closed the door. She covered her mouth to silence her cries but Laxus still heard them. His chest tightened because he knew that he was the cause of those sobs. He had half expected her to ignore him and just go get Wendy, whom he remembered clearly, but she'd promised to come back.

It felt like he'd been waiting for hours, but only a few minutes passed before she returned with Wendy and Bickslow in tow. She asked him what all he could remember about what happened and he told her. He should have been happy when she passed him with a clean bill of health but after her questions, it was clear that the only thing he didn't remember was Lucy.

The dragon slayer excused herself, wanting to let them talk in private but also to inform everyone else that he was awake. They didn't talk though. At least Lucy didn't. She said that she was tired and promised that they'd talk in the morning. She leaned over to Laxus and kissed his cheek, all while looking unsure of herself, and bid them goodnight.

Bickslow watched his world was beyond fucked up in his opinion. The man had finally found someone who was able to see through his past and care about who he was now, but life had just decided to say fuck you and he'd forgotten her. What made it worse was that Laxus looked more disappointed than confused.

"Don't let it bother you too much tonight. She just needs to think some things over."

The lightning slayer looked over to his friend. "It's my fault she looks so sad. I shouldn't have asked her to come back."

"Trust me," he stated. "She needed that from you, even if she didn't know it."

"Who is she to me?" he asked bluntly.

Bickslow choked out a laugh. "Way to approach the subject, man." Laxus just rolled his eyes as the seith mage continued to laugh. "She's your girlfriend you ass. That's why this is hard for her."

Laxus didn't know what to say. How could he forget someone as important as his girlfriend? He hated himself for being the cause of her sadness. "This is all my fault," he whispered.

"No one blames you for how things turned out. What's done is done," Bickslow explained.

"You should go check on her." Bix eyed the lightning slayer, waiting for him to say more. "You're worried about her and I don't think she should be alone right now."

Bickslow was surprised that he'd been able to pick that up about the girl. He knew for all her talk about wanting to do things her own way, that when she was emotionally distraught she needed to have someone there to hold. But he didn't want to leave Laxus alone. He felt that he needed to stay with him for her sake because he felt partially responsible since he'd left the slayer on his own in the first place. He didn't tell her that he felt that way since it would only make her worry about him and she already had enough to deal with.

"I'm not leaving you alone again," he confessed.

"I need to talk to the old man."

After a moment's consideration, the seith relented and agreed to go see Lucy. Besides, it wasn't fair to bar anyone from seeing Laxus now that he was awake, especially his grandfather.

Bickslow stood up and nodded at Laxus. "We'll see ya in the morning," he called before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Laxus didn't have to wait long for his grandfather to come in. The old man looked relieved to see that he was awake but looked sad at the same time. The slayer was asked tell the whole story from his eyes and he did so, being sure to include every detail possible. What Makarov couldn't understand was why he had sent Bickslow to find Lucy when he already knew that she'd be safe. Laxus just admitted that he didn't want to risk anyone else be affected by Jaice's magic.

The guildmaster thought that Laxus looked a bit sad and asked him what was wrong. He told him about Lucy and all that he'd heard from her before waking up. The look in her eyes when he finally opened his reminded him of his mother. They were kind and gentle eyes that could see right through a person. But they also held a lot of sadness and he had only added to hers because he didn't remember anything about her.

Makarov informed his grandson that it had been him to give Loke permission to take her when Jaice returned, and asked him if he regretted that decision. Laxus couldn't answer him since he knew nothing about Lucy's character anymore. The lightning slayer wanted to believe that he'd done right by Lucy, but the way she looked when she realized that he didn't know her was heartbreaking.

Bickslow had told him that she was his girlfriend and he wondered how long they'd been together. It couldn't have been too long right? The way she looked him showed that she cared about him but he didn't think that she loved him. Again, what did he know about the woman?

Laxus was a selfish man had to think of a reason why he would risk losing her. When he asked Makarov who she was to the guild, the old man explained that she was often called the light of Fairy Tail. She was the embodiment of everything their guild stood for. She was precious to everyone. That had to have his reasoning for sending her to her spirits. He'd learned a lot about himself and how he viewed the guild and if she was as precious as he was being led to believe, then he didn't doubt for a second that he'd risk losing her so that no one else had to.

At the same time that Laxus was thinking about why he'd risk losing Lucy, Bickslow entered the celestial mage's apartment building. He hustled up the steps two at a time with his babies hovering just behind him, and saw that her door was slightly ajar when he came to the top. He stepped lightly and knocked on the door but received no answer. Pushing it open slowly, he saw that there was practically nothing left in the place. Just a few odds and ends on a bookshelf that she was currently packing away.

Her eyes were swollen and her face flushed. "Lucy," he spoke, waiting for her to acknowledge him. His babies stayed at his side instead of going to her as the normally would have. She continued to fill her box up with books, set it aside once it was full, and start packing the next one. "Lucy, say something. Please," he whispered. He took a step towards her then froze when she stopped packing.

"I don't get it, Bix."

"Get what, Lucy?" he asked, hoping that she'd continue without too much convincing.

"Why does him not being able to remember me hurt so damn much?" she sobbed.

"Because he's someone you care about," he responded.

She just shook her head. "This pain is more than that. I feel like I did when I lost my mother, Bix." She was so confused. Yes she cared about Laxus, and as more than a friend, but she didn't think that she loved him. They'd only deen dating for about six weeks and they were still learning about each other, but she didn't think that him not remembering her was going to hurt this much.

While waiting for him to wake up, she'd tried so hard to _not_ break down and to stay positive. She lost that strength when she talked to him for almost an entire day because his best friend had ask her to. She believed that her words were reaching him so she talked about anything that came to mind and then she started thinking about her early days in Fairy Tail. She'd changed so much since then and so had Laxus.

She had noticed that about him and remembered watching him as he started to love and care about his fellow guildmates. She had started to cry and was going to step into the bathroom to wash her face but when she got up, he reached for her. She was beyond happy to look into those gray-blue eyes of his and hearing him whisper her name has washed away any lingering fears about him losing his memory.

Realizing that he actually had lost his memory crushed her and then later learning that it was only her that he couldn't remember, left her heart shattered. She didn't know what to do next. They needed to talk, sure, but what was she supposed to say to him? 'Hi, I'm Lucy, your girlfriend of about six weeks.' Shit like this was only supposed to happen in sappy romance novels, not in real life. What if he decided that being with her wasn't worth it because they'd only been together for a short time?

She was forced out her nightmarish thoughts when Bickslow rushed forward and crushed her to him. She must have fallen to her knees since they were on the floor.

"I don't know what to do," she cried.

Bickslow held her tight and rocked her back and forth as she clutched his shirt. "One day at a time, Lucy. You two can talk in the morning and figure things out from there. Don't try to think about everything all at once."

Dammit, she didn't deserve this. No one deserved something like this to happen to them. Bickslow had come to love this girl like a sister and wanted nothing more than to see her happy. And his best friend? Bix knew that Laxus' grandfather had tried to do right by the guy since his own father was a heartless prick and he barely remembered his mother. But he needed someone like Lucy who wouldn't care about all of that and just accept him as he was.

The seith was unable to hold back his own tears. He should have been there with him. He didn't care that both men could have possibly been affected by Jaice because it could have also been possible to prevent something from happening to either one of them. It was his fault that Laxus had been left alone and that he couldn't remember the one person who loved him unconditionally. She didn't understand that she did, but Bickslow knew.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy. I'm sorry." He kept repeating it and Lucy had to wonder what he was sorry about.

She pulled back from him and removed his visor to look into his eyes. She didn't need magic to see the pain he'd been hiding from her for days. She rested her forehead against his. "This isn't your fault, Bix."

"I shouldn't have left him," he sputtered. "If I'd been there-"

"If you had been there, we don't know how things might have turned out," she interrupted. "I'm sorry for not noticing the pain you've been in sooner, Bix."

"Talk things through with him, please?"

"I promise. I don't want to give up on him and I yet. I want to try and make it through this like they do in romance novels."

He let out a pathetic chuckle at that and the two continued to hold one another until she passed out in his arms. He tucked her into bed and then locked up before leaving to finally sleep in his own bed.


	14. Finding the Words

Not having an alarm to wake her, it was near lunch time when Lucy finally climbed out of bed. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and was vaguely aware of the uncomfortable pinch of her bra. She looked down and saw that she was still fully dressed it what she'd been wearing the day prior. It made sense as she didn't remember climbing into bed. Prompted by a knock on her door, she threw the blankets aside and groggily padded over to it, where an energetic Bickslow was waiting.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he laughed, his babies echoing the greeting.

"Mmm, what time is it?" she asked, stepping aside to let him in.

He removed his visor and walked over to the unmade bed since it was the only place to sit. "It's almost noon. Did you just wake up?" Her yawning was the response he got and he could only shake his head at her. "Did you at least sleep okay?"

Lucy joined him on the bed, pulling her knees as close to her as possible and resting her head on them. "I could probably continue to sleep but we have to get to the guild. Or rather I do."

"You guys will work things out. I'm sure of it." Lucy smiled at his hopefulness and wished that she could share that feeling with him, because just thinking about talking with Laxus made her stomach churn.

There could only be two outcomes and she wasn't sure which one would put her mind at ease more. Part of her, a large part, wanted to stay with him and have another go at a relationship. But they would be starting from square on from his point of view and she wondered, what if that was something he wouldn't want since he didn't know who she was? Or worse, what if he agreed to date her out of pity? She didn't like either of those options.

"I'm worried, Bix," she finally admitted.

"So is he," he replied quickly.

Lucy looked into his eyes, confusion written on her face. He explained that he'd told Laxus that she was his girlfriend since he asked about her after she'd left. Lucy wanted to smack herself. Of course he'd ask about who she was since she had been the first person he saw when he woke up. But she was surprised when Bickslow said that he look disappointed to learn exactly who he'd forgotten.

The seith left for the guild ahead of her while she showered and thought about what she wanted to say to Laxus. He already knew about their relationship and had had all night to think about it, so she didn't have to go through that awkward part of telling him. She wrapped her hair in a towel and lowered her body into the bath, shivering as she adjusted to the warmth surrounding her.

Lucy thought about how sad he looked when she sat with him while he told Wendy what had happened. She remembered that he even asked her to promise that she'd come back when she stepped out to fetch the healer. She smiled at the memory and slid deeper into the water, letting it rise to her chin. She'd have to ask how he knew to ask her for a promise.

With renewed hope for a positive outcome Lucy dressed herself in something cute, a firm believer that it boosted her confidence whenever she did, and headed to the guild. Many of her guildmates were speechless to see her in high spirits, but were also relieved that she was smiling. Talk around the guild had been about none other than what would become of her and Laxus' relationship. She waved her normal greetings to everyone without stopping as she headed directly to the infirmary.

When she stepped inside, she saw that the bed Laxus had been occupying was empty and made. He wasn't even in the room, but she heard a soft curse come from the bathroom and laughed. Lucy walked over to the window and leaned against the window sill while she waited for him. It was a cloudy day, with no signs of clearing up for the day. As much as she loved rain, she hoped that it would hold off so she could that she could move the rest of her things to her new place.

She turned her head to the bathroom as Laxus came out while pulling a shirt over his head. "Hey," she greeted him, ignoring how unusually nervous he seemed.

"Hey Lucy," he answered. "When did you get here?"

"Not long ago." She crossed her arms under her chest and watched his eyes drift down to them. "Eyes up, Laxus."

"Sorry," he mumbled while looking away with a blush, causing her to laugh.

"Good to know that you still find me attractive, I guess," she admitted as she walked over to him. She stood close to him and stood on her tiptoes. It was mean of her to do but it was the one chance she'd get to tease him and couldn't help herself.

Laxus gulped and tried to think of what he should do. It was uncharacteristic of him to deny a woman that he found attractive, but the blonde throwing herself at him was his girlfriend, at least as far as he'd been told. Wait, had they already- he looked down at her when she started laughing again, this time wiping a tear from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I took that too far." He visibly relaxed and she snickered again. "You don't have to be so tense."

"I guess," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "I just don't know where we stand." He motioned between the of them.

"Well," she started and shrugged, "We're gonna figure that out today. Hopefully."

He nodded at her and watched her sit down on one of the beds, following suit. If they were going to talk through everything they needed to, she needed him to relax a little and not be delicate with her. Lucy knew that this day was going to end with hope or heartbreak, and while she prefered the former she was prepared for the worst.

"Bix told me last night that you and I are dating?" he spoke unsurely.

"He wasn't lying." She watched his head drop. "But we've only been together for about six weeks though."

"Still, I can't imagine what's going through your head." He couldn't look at her. She was probably just putting on a brave face, hiding what she was truly feeling. Seeing her sad the previous night hurt him and he didn't want to see it again, but if she was indeed hurting he deserved that pain after causing her to experience it. "Are you just putting on a brave face?"

Lucy tilted her head. "You're asking whether or not I'm faking my smile and laughter," she stated. Laxus nodded. "Look at me please," she spoke softly. When he didn't, she said it again, louder. He lifted his head and looked at her but did not meet her eyes. Lucy sighed and went to stand in front of him, holding his face between her hands. "Five days, Laxus."

He didn't understand. "Five days what?"

"That's how many days I waited for you to wake up, wondering if that mage had done something to your mind. Five days, I sat beside you and cried because everyone was sure that you were going to be just fine." She paused and took a deep breath willing the tears away. "But I saw how much pain you were in when he touched your mind. I knew that he had done something."

"You saw?" he asked surprised. She nodded. "You called out to me."

It was her turn to be surprised. "You heard me?"

"You said that I had to live, so I made sure that I did. The last thing I remember from that day is your name, Lucy." She didn't know what to say. "I don't have any memory of you but having you close," he reached up to where her hands were, "feels familiar. Without having to be told, I knew that you were someone dear to me."

Lucy let out a small gasp. "That's why you made me promise." He nodded and she was unable to keep the tears at bay. She wanted to be done crying but they just kept falling. Laxus dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her into a hug. She let her hands wrap his shoulders and held onto him.

She didn't love him yet. She kept telling herself that but it did nothing ease the pain in her heart. She just wanted to stop hurting. Laxus could only apologize to her over and over. When she calmed down, the lightning mage led her to sit beside him. The first thing he told her was that he was responsible for having her go to the spirit world. Laxus shouldn't have been surprised by how understanding Lucy was with him.

He had expected her to be mad at him for sending her away and then rushing off by himself like an idiot, but she was patient with him. She was trying to understand why he'd chosen to make his decisions, like sending Bickslow to find her when he knew that she was safe.

He explained, as best he could, that he wasn't thinking clearly. Though he couldn't remember the details since it concerned her. Lucy wasn't surprised. All of the dragon slayers in her guild had a habit of willing to risk everything to protect what they held dear.

His voice was full of regret and she wished that this didn't have to be so hard for him. In an attempt to lighten the mood she tells him about what he did on her birthday. He seemed a bit happier with their situation knowing that he'd been able to do simple things for her before he had screwed it all up. The celestial mage assured him that he made her happy and he was relieved to her say so.

They continued to talk well into the evening. He learned that before he'd asked her out, she'd agreed to help him with the copious amounts of paperwork his grandfather shoved his way. He laughed at that, knowing that Freed could be a drag to work with simply because the man didn't talk while working. Their attention turned to the window as the soft pitter patter grew into a steady thrum. Laxus looked at the blonde, a wry expression on her face as she shook her head.

"What's up?" he asked when she walked over to the window.

"I was hoping the rain would hold off so that I could move the rest of my stuff to my new apartment," she answered with a sigh.

He wasn't sure what to say. Earlier in the afternoon, his team had joined them for a bit. He watched the four of them talk and tell him anything they could think of about Lucy. They loved her. She was a part of their family. Bix and Freed recalled the night that she'd stayed with them in Clover Town and Ever talked about the day they'd spent shopping.

If he didn't know better, he'd assume that they'd been friends for years but this girl had a place in each of their hearts after only weeks of hanging around. She was indeed a light in the dark. But that's not who he wanted to know. Laxus wanted to know about the girl who was currently complaining about the rain, but also looked like she'd just seen the wondrous thing as a flash of lightning passed.

"Lucy." She turned away from the window.

His blue eyes were desperate, begging her for the answer to a question that needn't be asked. It had been weighing on her mind since she walked in, but had avoided it because she was still scared.

"I care about you, Laxus. I want to be with you, as your girlfriend, but only-"

"Yes," he blurted. Realizing that he interrupted her, he groaned and looked away. Lucy thought he looked like he wanted to say more, so she walked around to stand in front of him.

"Talk to me, Sparky." He looked at her with wide eyes. She'd been calling him by name all afternoon but there was something familiar about the pet name. Seeing confusion written on his face as he tried to think, she smiled at him. "For whatever reason, you always call me blondie even though we have the same hair color. I started calling you Sparky because you'd always get this twitch in your eye whenever I said it," she offered. "But, now I'm getting sidetracked. You looked like you wanted to say more after that yes."

Laxus thought about what to say next, as he did have more to say but wasn't able to find the words he needed. She wanted to stay with him as long as he was willing, and he _was_ more than willing, but there was one question burning in the back of mind that was holding him back. He had never maintained a steady relationship with anyone before Lucy, simply because it never interested him and he knew that anyone who'd shown interest in him before had only been after bragging rights. He didn't think the blonde standing in front of him was like that but a small part of still doubted.

"I want to spend time with you and see if we can make this work," he began.

"But?" she prompted after he paused.

"I've never looked for a relationship, Lucy because it just never suited me. I'm not one to be tied down," he admitted, sighing and looking away from her.

Lucy was reminded of their first date, how he had marvelled at the birds as they flew overhead. He told something similar that day. But it was about him being guildmaster someday and not their relationship. They'd never talked about the future simply because neither felt the need to. It may have crossed her mind once or twice but it was never something she needed to say to him. So why, when they were practically starting from day one again, was he thinking about the future?

Then the thought struck her and she took a step back from the lightning slayer. He had mentioned that he felt a certain closeness to her even though he didn't remember her. Maybe it wasn't the future he was thinking about, but this sense of familiarity he felt toward her. Maybe he was afraid of being drawn to someone who might as well be a total stranger and not being able to choose whether or not that something he wanted.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner, Laxus," she whispered.

"What?" He hesitantly reached out to her. He wanted her near him but he also hated this feeling because it wasn't him.

She stepped just out of his reach. "If we're going to make us work, you need to choose it Laxus. You said that you felt there was a closeness between you and I, and while one might think it would make things easier, it won't in our case." She paused and let him process that as she gathered her next thoughts. "I need you to want to be with me because it's something you want. Not some instinct or gut feeling that you have, do you understand?"

This woman was amazing. She knew exactly what he'd been afraid of without having to be told. He nodded at her and smiled, noticing how her breath hitched. That smile morphed into a smirk and he walked past her to the door. "Come on, Blondie. Let's move the rest of your stuff before it starts raining again." Lucy rolled her eyes, relieved that he could still be as smug as ever.

* * *

The next several weeks passed by slowly for the couple. Shortly after Lucy had settled into her new apartment, she added Evergreen's name to the lease and the brunette moved in with her. As a result, their respective teams seemed to gather at their apartment and sometimes on the same night. The roommates didn't know how things ended up that way but neither seemed too bothered by it. Lucy had never minded that her team would always hang out at her place, it was the fact that they'd walk in unannounced. That and her old place was rather small. The two just made sure to that they weren't over every night.

Seeing Lucy with the Thunder Legion helped Laxus relax a bit easier as he got used to spending time with her. She was patient with him and his hesitancy but for the most part, he was the same flirtatious and arrogant guy she liked to begin with. When they'd part ways for the night, she kiss him on the cheek and expect nothing in return. He enjoyed the affection she showed and wanted to reciprocate, even if only a little, but he didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of her.

He learn quickly that Lucy was low maintenance as she didn't ask for much. She valued her independence as a mage and woman. They gave each other their space, as she had others who wanted her attention and she wanted to give it to them, but he suspected it was her way of showing him that she wasn't the clingy type, though she'd already admitted that she was. To everyone, the blondes looked like they were any normal couple, but Laxus was becoming a bit distant with Lucy and the only person, besides Lucy, to pick up on had been Natsu.

He tried to talk to Erza about it but one day, while both Laxus and Lucy were away on separate missions,Erza alongside Levy, took it upon themselves to inform Natsu that the two were trying to ease back into a place where they were both comfortable. That there was nothing for him to be concerned with. The slayer was threatened by the requip mage as she told him that what Lucy and Laxus did about their relationship was of no concern to anyone except them.

Without a word, the fire slayer turned his back on the two and left the guild, walking nowhere specific. Natsu wasn't an idiot and knew better than to do anything to get on Lucy's bad side ever again but Laxus was pulling away from her. And while Lucy didn't seem bothered by it, eventually she would be and she'd lose Laxus. He knew that Lucy didn't need someone watching over her but he couldn't drive away that feeling. He had been taught to always listen to his instincts and just couldn't ignore them.

When he focused his attention of his surroundings, he realized that he'd ended up outside her old place. He cursed under his breath and headed out of town toward his place, though he had no intention of going home. He had accepted that Lucy would never love him as he did her, so why did he continue to torture himself? Even if something happened between Laxus and Lucy, she wouldn't see Natsu as anything more than one of her best friends. Natsu hung his head and sighed, unaware of the approaching individual that was walking opposite of him.

The lightning slayer scowled as he mumbled about how lame the job he'd taken had been. He needed to get away from the guild but didn't want to be gone for a week. So while his team had taken a mission without him he decided to take a day job, because Lucy hadn't yet returned from her own job and would still be gone for a day.

When Laxus came to the road leading into the city, he caught sight of a familiar head of pink hair, belonging only to Natsu. He looked closer and noticed the fire slayer was alone and looked sullen, both of which were uncharacteristic to the guy. Not that he was overly concerned with him, he did wonder what was wrong with him as they walked past each other without a word.

Laxus stopped and looked back at him. It was one thing for the fire slayer to be in a foul mood, but it was an entirely different matter for him not to acknowledge a guildmate, even if it were just in passing. A year ago, Laxus would have minded his business and kept walking. Now he felt a sense of duty or, maybe it was responsibility... he didn't know. But given his future position in the guild, he called out to younger man.

"Natsu!" he barked in his usual forceful tone. The young man stopped and looked around, seeming unaware of his surroundings. When he turned around and looked at Laxus, the lightning mage thought he saw him flinch a little. He wasn't sure though, as Natsu played it off and threw a hand behind his head, grinning wide.

"Hey, Laxus. Sorry I didn't see ya," he said bashfully. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he really hadn't seen the blonde pass him.

He didn't know why Laxus had called out to him, but he didn't want to wait around and find out. However he was unable to leave and continue on his way. Erza was going to kill him if she found out what he was about to do. And if Lucy found out, he might was well just disappear forever.

"Laxus," he said, his face pensive. "You got a minute?"

"Sure, I was just heading home," he replied with a shrug then turned back toward town.

Natsu followed him and he was a little relieved that he didn't have to instruct him to do so. It was already awkward enough that he'd invited him over in the first place. Neither men talked much, at least when it came to personal problems or thought. It just wasn't who they were. They were about action and hashing things out with force but that wasn't always possible.

Laxus thought about the day after he woke up. How he and Lucy had spent hours talking about everything and nothing. The day was over before he knew it, but when he got to his own house that night he finally realized how draining it had been. He thought that the celestial mage was just tired from moving her things and spending hours each day each day sitting with him.

The two walked straight to the kitchen once they arrived, where Laxus poured a drink of whisky for each of them, lighting Natsu's drink aflame of course. The fire slayer took a seat at the breakfast bar and nodded a silent thanks when Laxus placed the drink in front of him. He sat there and stared at the dancing flame for a good minute before throwing the contents back, enjoying the smooth burn that came with it.

Now that he was here, alone with the man he had so much he wanted to say to, he was at a loss for words. Delicacy had never been his strong suit, but he was trying to be respectful toward Lucy's relationship.

"Let me ask you something, Natsu." He looked across the bar to Laxus who was leaning against the counter, swirling his drink. "Why does Lucy want to be with me?"

Did he just ask that and to Natsu of all people? Yes, he had and since the words had left his mouth, there was no taking them back. Laxus didn't want to though. This was something that had been weighing on his mind for a little while now. He believed that she just wanted him and not his reputation; he'd seen she wasn't that type of woman.

He still wondered what she saw in him though. It was obvious why anyone would want to with her. Lucy was beautiful in more ways than one and her love was unending. She was an a radiant woman who was true to her word and her beliefs. She even had her quirks like a normal person so he wouldn't call her perfect. But he saw nothing undesirable about her.

Unlike him.

Laxus had not always been the decent man he thought himself to be now. He'd been selfish and power hungry before his expulsion from the guild. He was ashamed of his naive thinking back then. But he was more ashamed that she'd been in the guild during that time of his life. She'd seen that side of him and his team, and still she hung out with them. Had he even apologized to her properly, to any of them?

"What kind of question is that?" Natsu asked interrupting Laxus's thoughts. The lightning mage just blinked at him. "If she didn't want to be with you, then she wouldn't be."

"Still doesn't tell me what the hell she sees in a guy like me," he growled under his breath.

"And what kind of guy would that be?"

"The kind who's used others. Who looked down on anyone that wasn't him," he admitted.

"But that's not who you are right now," Natsu offer and held his glass out for another drink.

It's true that he'd grown up since then. But he'd asked Bickslow about all that and had learned that he'd she'd been one of many that had been hurt by him. Maybe he was an idiot and just wasn't able to understand how she could be with a guy who'd done stuff like that. Someone like Gray or even Natsu would probably be better for her.

He was curious now as he poured another round for them both.. "Another question, why was there never anything between you two?"

Natsu shrugged and sipped on the drink this time. "I never said anything to her. And then I just left without saying anything to her. That hurt her... A lot." There was pregnant pause. "Besides, she's never seen me as more than a friend."

"But you do wish-"

"Doesn't matter what I want," he snapped. "Listen, Lucy choose 's what you should be thinking about."

Laxus narrowed his eyes at Natsu. "You think I don't know that? All I can think about lately is that she's gonna realize that staying with me was a mistake." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, frustrated with the direction the conversation had taken.

"By now you should know Luce isn't like that." Natsu looked at how distraught the man appeared and wondered just how long this had been bothering him.

"Well I'm an idiot," Laxus scoffed. He was though now that he thought about it. He'd been spending a fair amount of time with the woman over the last three weeks, getting to know her.

He liked spending time with her and her help with guildwork was invaluable to him. But more than that, she calmed the side of him that was always restless. When he thought back to before when he'd forgotten her, he'd felt that calm before. Could it have been her making him feel that back then?

"She's got that effect on people," Natsu started. He thought back to the night Gray had stormed off and things that had spilled from the man's mouth. Then he thought about what he'd said to her. All that he wanted to say to her still but would never get the chance. "She makes you think about the stupidest things and before you know it, you're opening your mouth without thinking."

That was exactly how Laxus felt. He thought that he wasn't good enough for her and had been worrying about the stupidest things lately. He knew that his worries about her leaving him were all in his head. And while it had been Natsu asking Laxus to talk, he ended up being the one talking, which reminded him; what had Natsu needed in the first place?

"Natsu, there was something you wanted to talk about."

"Hmm?" Natsu mused. He did ask Laxus for a moment, but since they'd started talking he already figured out why Laxus seemed a little distant with Lucy. "I did, but everything's okay now." Natsu slid off his seat and threw back the rest of his drink. "If you really don't know what Lucy sees in you, ask her when she gets home. She'll tell you the truth."

Laxus watched the fire slayer leave his place, waving a hand behind him before stepping outside. Had he really just asked and taken advice from Natsu?

* * *

Lucy was surprised to see Laxus waiting for her at the station. The night before she'd told him to expect her back in town by noon but she didn't think that he'd come to wait for her. She hopped up from her seat and weaved between exiting passengers, her ponytail swishing behind her until she stopped in front of the lightning slayer.

"This is a pleasant surprise." She smiled as he leaned down to peck her cheek.

"What? Is it really so odd for me to come and see my girlfriend?" he teased. Seeing her blush calmed his nerves a bit.

After Natsu had left his place yesterday, Laxus had spent the rest of his evening thinking way too much about what the fire slayer had told him. He didn't doubt that Lucy cared about him but he just couldn't help but wonder why. He really wanted to know why and decided that he was going to ask her.

"What's up you?" she asked, poking him between his eyebrows. "You're thinking about something."

He took Lucy's hand and pulled her along beside him. "Have dinner with me tonight? Just us." He cast his eyes downward at her, loving the way her cheeks reddened.

She was sensitive to those around her and could always easily tell when something wasn't quite right with someone. She wasn't getting anything out of him. Not yet.

"Dinner sounds nice," she said and leaned her head against his arm.

He dropped her off at her place and gave her a kiss before she stepped inside. Lucy was stunned and watched him leave, calling back to her that he'd see her later.

Lucy hummed happily as she leaned back against the door to shut it, grateful that the apartment was empty. She loved having Evergreen as a roommate but all Lucy wanted to do right now was shrill with excitement. That was the first time Laxus had initiated any physical affection since waking up. The celestial mage skipped to her room to unpack her things and pick an outfit for the night.

She was happy and relieved. Lucy had taken a solo job because her mind had been riddled with doubt about their relationship and needed to think alone. She'd done a lot of thinking but hadn't succeeded in clearing her mind or calming her nerves.

Laxus seemed comfortable enough around her but the extent to which they spent time together was normally when either of their teams were at her place. They had spent some time alone, normally on the days she worked with him and then when he'd walk her home for the night. But they hadn't done anything like go on a date. She'd made a point not to spend every moment with him because she didn't want overwhelm him.

Before, it wouldn't have been a problem because they'd already know the other's personality. She knew that Laxus liked his space and while she valued hers, she'd always needed some form of reinforcement that she was cared for and needed, and he'd given her that because he knew. But now he didn't and she didn't know how to tell him. She feared that by respecting his needs, she'd accidentally neglected her own.

She didn't blame him. After all, he'd only known her for not even a month. But maybe he'd realized something while she'd been gone. She hoped that was the case as she started a bath and relaxed until this evening.

He was almost done cooking when she got there and told her to open a bottle of wine if she wanted. They sat at the table for well over an hour as they ate and talked. Laxus was happy to see her smiling and and had to focus on breathing when the sunset behind her illuminated her figure. Her blonde hair was suddenly a fiery red and her skin glowed in the light. Paired with the slight flush staining her cheeks from two bottles of wine, she looked otherworldly.

She should have been out of his reach but when he grabbed her hand, she was real. She was real and sitting with him. Having a normal dinner, drinking a decent wine and talking about each other's latest jobs. It was mundane and normal, but he was loving every moment of it.

"You know," she started as she swirled her wine about, debating if she wanted to finish the glass, "I was relieved when you invited me over, Laxus."

"Why?" he asked, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Because I'm an idiot girl who thinks too much," she sighed.

Laxus chuckled. Guess both of them were struggling inside. "You're not an idiot, Blondie," he paused as though realizing something, "Well, maybe you're a little bit of an idiot since you want to be with my dumb ass." She pulled her hand from under his and slapped it, glaring playfully. "What?! You said it!"

"That's not what I meant, you-"

"What?" He smirked knowing that she wanted to call him a dumbass. "Go on. Say it."

Dammit. She'd been pulled into his game and was going to lose no matter what she said next. Unless... " You overgrown spark plug," she deadpanned.

"Of course I'd go after the creative one," he sighed, admitting his defeat. The two laughed and finished the last of the wine, before cleaning.

He tried to tell Lucy that she didn't need to help him but she insisted on it since he'd cooked for her. He could only grumble under his breath when she pushed him aside to stand in front of the sink. They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment until she started to hum.

He loved how she made the simplest things enjoyable. Dinner had been fun and he hoped that she thought so too. Lucy had been all smiles since she'd arrived, even she told him that she was relieved. He remembered then, he needed to ask her about what had been troubling him. But he also wanted to know what had been on her mind.

"Lucy," he spoke gently when she handed him a wine glass.

"Yes?" she hummed, not interrupting her song.

"Why were you relieved?" He turned to look at her when her humming ceased, her hands still in the sink of water.

Lucy wanted to tell him, but was afraid to. What if he thought her stupid for worrying about such a thing? He needed to know though. She needed to tell him that she'd been concerned about things between them.

He waited for her, just as she'd been waiting for him these last few weeks. The celestial mage handed him the second wine glass then pulled the plug, letting the water drain from the sink. Laxus dried the glass then retrieved a fresh towel and dried Lucy's hands. When he was done he held her hand and led her to the living room. They sat on the couch for only a moment before she spoke.

"I've been thinking that maybe I've been pulling away from you." Lucy was sitting on the edge of the couch, not looking at him.

Laxus furrowed his brow. "How so?"

"Well, I know that you like your space so I've been making sure that I was giving it to you," she trailed off.

"If I thought you were overbearing in any way, blondie, I'd say something," he offered. Lucy looked over to the lighting slayer. His head was tilted back against the couch, his eyes closed. He sighed and opened them and looked at her, her breath hitching. "I noticed that you were putting distance between us. I appreciate that you were thinking about me, but I still don't know what all you need from me." He turned his body to face her. "If you aren't with me, how am I supposed to learn that stuff?"

She'd never known Laxus to be the intuitive type but she remembered that he was going to be guildmaster one day. It would be his job to watch over and noticed what others didn't it. She just could believe that she'd witness him doing it to her first.

"Did I worry you?" she asked.

His face fell. "A lot, actually."

"A lot?!" She stared wide-eyed at him.

"I thought that you were realizing that staying with me hadn't been such a good idea and couldn't help but wonder why you wanted to be with me in the first place."

She told herself no more tears and Lucy was determined to not let them fall. "I'm sorry, Laxus." That was the second time she'd cause him unease but she didn't know what else to say to him.

He watched her sit there in silence as she mulled over her thoughts. What did he do now? He was happy to know that she'd trying to think of him and his comforts, but she'd disregarded her own and was confused about how to move forward. She was a thinker and if he didn't distracter her fast, she'd get lost in what were bound to be negative thoughts.

Laxus placed a hand under her chin, turned her toward him and leaned in, kissing her. Lucy shifted her weight and slid closer to him, lifting her hands to his hair. She lightly raked her nails across his scalp, eliciting a purr from the man. The lightning slayer surprised at the noise that left him and tried to pull away, but Lucy didn't let him. He ended up with his back against the couch and the celestial mage straddling him.

He wasn't opposed to her actions but this hadn't been what he intended either. One hand drifted down to her waist and he held her against him, enjoying how she melded against him. The other, he threaded in her hair and turned her head to deepen the kiss. It was her turn to moan when his tongue passed over her lips. As much as he wanted to continue, he used the opportunity to pull away from her.

"Why me, Lucy?" he asked between breaths.

Her mind was hazy and all she could think about was kissing him again. But he'd asked her a question so she should probably answer. She didn't quite understand the question though.

"What do you mean?" His response was a quiet sob. Lucy snapped out of her trance and looked at the man she was sitting on top of. His hands had fallen to his side and he was trying to hide his face from her. "Laxus?"

"Why are you with me?" he choked.

Lucy's face softened and she smiled at him. "Because I deserve someone who actually gives afuck about me." Laxus opened his eyes and looked up to see her smirking. "I'm tired of trying to make everyone else happy just to be left behind."

Her hands slid from his face and to her sides. "Lucy?" he asked.

"When you woke up and told me that you didn't remember me, I half expected you to leave me too." Laxus reached up and placed a hand on her cheek. Lucy leaned into it. "But you stayed, Laxus."

He had so much to say to that but all he could do was stare into her eyes. He wanted to stay with her for as long as she'd have him and hoped that it'd be long enough for him to find the words so he could describe the feeling in his heart. For now though, she'd have to settle for another kiss.


End file.
